THE DRUGS MENACE

SOME young people in Northern Ireland are taking drugs before, during
and after school and other teenagers are involved in drug dealing, it
was claimed today.

Gerry McConville, project co-ordinator with the YouthDrug initiative
in west Belfast said that an increasing number of young
schoolchildren across the province are taking cannabis.

"The age that young people are taking drugs is going down
dramatically," he said.

"Young people are still using solvents and substances but cannabis is
a massive, massive, problem here and we have young people who are
indulging massively in 'blow'.

"I have dealt with young people taking blow before school, during the
breaks, after school and at night.

"That means that, as well as excessive use of the drug, they also
cannot be concentrating in school."

The community drugs worker said that he has dealt with children as
young as 10 experimenting with drugs.

"I know a young boy of nine who was able to tell me what blow looks
like because one of his friends had a bit.

"The type of problem we typically come across is that a young person
starts to smoke blow, their personality changes including mood
swings, they then opt out of the family set-up and become agressive
if they cannot get drugs. They stay out late and it starts a whole
reaction within the family. Before they know it the whole family is
disintegrating."

Mr McConville said that drugs have dropped in both price and quality
which makes it easier for young boys and girls to afford them.

He added that drug dealing is taking place in some schools.

"Some young people see this as being attractive because of the drama
and status," he said.

"We would deal with 14 and 15-year-olds who are 'pushers' and in one
case a 15-year-old was getting pounds 10 of cannabis free for every
pounds 90 worth.

"Dealers also hook the young people in by dragging them into debt.

"We dealt with a young lad who was beaten up because he owed pounds
200 for drugs.

"Some of them get caught in a cycle and the only way they see
themselves getting out of it is to deal for someone.

"But they can then also get scared that the IRA will be after them
for dealing, so they are trapped and begin to depend on their dealer
even more.

"This is not just happening in our area. It is typical of what is
happening elsewhere in Northern Ireland."

Two Ulster secondary school teachers have confirmed that drugs are
becoming a bigger issue for schools.

One vice-principal, who asked not to be named, said that there was a
drugs problem in the North Down area and that it is beginning to show
itself in schools.

"Some children are being found with cannabis and this is worrying for
us," he said. "At the moment we have a girl on a rolling suspension
for being in possession of cannabis."

And he also claimed that two pupils, who were expelled from a school
for drug dealing, have applied for places at his school as well as
other schools in the area.

Meanwhile, the principal of a Belfast secondary school, who also
asked for the school not to be named, has comfirmed that cannabis is
"readily available" to young people.

"Our policy is very much 'no drugs'," he said.

"I have not had many experiences of drugs being used by pupils during
the day but I have had some.

"If we do have any suspicions we bring parents in and say that we are
concerned.

"I have always taken a strong line. I have suspended pupils and when
one boy was suspected of dealing he was expelled.

"In this school we are very vigilant and thankfully it is not a big
issue, but it is there.

"I am aware in some of the more middle class districts teenagers are
coming back to school with a drink on them.

"In every school and in every society there are always people who
will push the limits.

"Schools need more resources behind them and contact points so that
if we do have concerns about pupils we can get a quick response."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "Following a
survey by the Education and Training Inspectorate of drugs education
provision in schools and FE colleges, the department has written to
schools drawing attention to lessons to be learned from the survey
and asking them to review the extent and quality of their provision
for drugs education."

The YouthDrug initiative, which was introduced by Falls Road
Community Council, can be contacted on (028) 90202030.