Schools and Police form Drugs Forum

"We need to ensure we're not educating children to know what drugs to use,
but teaching them that drugs are unacceptable." - Margaret Morrissey

A VITAL partnership between police and schools in Norwich to raise drugs
awareness kicks off tonight.

Designed specifically for parents, the event highlights how drugs work and
gives advice on how to handle their abuse and mis-use.

The initiative follows a spate of incidents across the country where drugs
have been found on schoolchildren. Last week it emerged that a
seven-year-old boy was found with 500 UKP of heroin at a primary school in
Stirling, central Scotland, and a five-year-old boy in Farnham, Surrey, was
discovered with a large quantity of cannabis.

Margaret Morrissey, spokesman for the National Confederation of
Parent-Teacher Associations, said: "Parents have been worrying about this
happening for the last few years.

"We need to ensure we're not educating children to know what drugs to use,
but teaching them that drugs are unacceptable."

The Parents Drug Awareness evening at Heartsease High School will be led by
PC Mike Blakey, High Schools Liaison Officer for Norwich.

PC Kimberley Diehl, of Norwich Police, said: "Norfolk police believes that
the educational needs of young people and the awareness of parents are
vital components for addressing the issue of drugs."

Chief Supt Roger Sandall, Norwich's divisional commander, and Heartsease
High School headmaster John Roche-Kelly will get the evening under way at
7.30pm.

For more information on drug awareness, contact PC Richard Price, in the
community relations department at Bethel Street police station on (01603)
768769

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski