This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New Help For Teachers Dealing With Drug Related Incidents
28/06/2000
Teachers who have to deal with drug related incidents will be given extra guidance and support thanks to a new pack of guidelines launched today by Minister for Children and Education Sam Galbraith.
Speaking at the launch of 'Guidelines on the Management of Incidents of Drug Misuse in Schools' at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow, Mr Galbraith said:
"Most young people in Scotland will go through life without becoming involved with drugs or the drugs scene. Most will make healthy, responsible choices about the way they live.
"But we are not complacent - drugs misuse touches the lives of far too many young people. We need to offer young people advice on how to resist drugs but also our protection if they succumb.
"Our teachers need guidance on how to deal with drug related incidents when they occur. They need to know how to deal with allegations of drug misuse in and out of school, how to recognise the symptoms of drug misuse in pupils and what to do about needles and other equipment that users leave lying around in or near school grounds.
"It is also important for parents to know that schools are able to cope when such incidents happen and that their children will be safe.
"And pupils need to know that they will be safe if someone else is involved in an incident and clear about what is likely to happen if they are the ones involved. These guidelines will go a long way to providing that information for all."
He continued:
"The Scottish Executive wants every school to have an effectve drug education programme that promotes healthy living and our drug strategy highlights the need to encourage positive alternative lifestyles. Recent white papers on Health and Education have key aims to encourage wider participation in physical activity, particularly by younger people, and to reverse the decline in school sport.
"In short we want young people to choose healthy lifestyles. We want to provide young people with the knowledge and skills that will help you make that choice. And we are working with schools and communities to ensure that the alternatives are there for young people."
BACKGROUND
1. The School Drug Safety Team (SDST) was set up by the Scottish Office in 1998, following a number of drug misuse incidents in Scottish primary schools. SDST is chaired by Ken Corsar, Director of Education at Glasgow City Council, and is a collaborative venture involving all relevant agencies (health, education and police).
2. SDST's first priority has been to ensure that effective guidance on handling drug misuse incidents in schools is made available to teachers. The guidelines are designed to support a number of uses: in the first place to provide schools with the necessary background and information to help them develop their policies in advance of any incident; also to assist schools to identify what their teachers need to know about managing drug incidents in schools; and finally to provide easily accessible advice for the management of incidents.
3. Copies of the pack will be sent to all schools. There will also be a small pocket guide for every teacher on how to deal with incidents.
News Release: SE1894/2000
28 Jun 2000