CALL FOR TOUGHER DRUG PENALTIES.

National education spokesman Dr Nick Smith is calling for tougher penalties
for dealers who sell drugs to young people.

After visiting schools in Dunedin yesterday, Dr Smith said in an interview
he was shocked at the number of "active adult peddlers" selling drugs to
the city's young people.

While Dunedin's cannabis problem in schools was about the national average,
the problem of adults selling to young people was far worse.

"Schools are attempting to cope with the situation but there is a
deliberate campaign [by adult dealers] to target young people. There are
remedies for supply but given the degree of drug supply to young people,
should there not be tougher penalties?"

The schools were adopting a successful strategy to counter drug problems
but were being frustrated by the Youth Law Centres which were telling
students it was illegal to search school bags or have drug dogs at schools,
he said.

"It seems sad to have the Government funding, with public money, the centre
which is making the job of keeping schools drug free more difficult."

While in Dunedin, Dr Smith visited Kings, Bayfield and Logan Park high schools.

Dr Smith is convinced many of New Zealand's youth suicides relate to
cannabis use and he is on a mission to stop any attempt to decriminalise
the drug.

"There is a direct correlation between New Zealand's high use of cannabis
and our high rate of youth suicide. Decriminalisation would make these
tragic statistics much worse."

More than half of youth suicides, where there were autopsies, showed
cannabis present in the body.

"It is a proven trigger for mental problems. Some of these kids are not
wired for cannabis. It is a contributing factor to the level of youth suicide."

While Dr Smith said he had not smoked marijuana, list MP Katherine Rich, of
Dunedin, admitted she had tried the drug at university.

Dr Smith said one of the trade-offs was the group of "white, middle class,
professionals" who could smoke marijuana without it affecting their
livelihoods.

"But should we legalise a recreational drug for a few well-off adults at
the expense of our youth?"

"I fear we will end up with the decriminalisation [of marijuana] as part of
the inevitable MMP political deals when we have the Greens holding the
balance of power.

"Every school I visit, I become more passionate about the issue," he said.