HEAD CLAIMS PUPILS, 12, ARE HITTING THE BOTTLE

A HEADTEACHER has written to parents asking for their help in his battle
against under-age drinking after pupils as young as 12 turned up for class
with hangovers.

Ian Lamont, rector of Alva Academy in Clackmannanshire, claims youngsters
are buying large quantities of alcohol regularly.

He is urging parents to help the school to tackle the problem head-on,
before it wrecks the community.

Mr Lamont said yesterday the issue of under-age drinking was as worrying as
other forms of drug abuse. "I had discussions with the school board, who
shared my concern that there are a considerable number of youngsters,
possibly pupils at the school, drinking, particularly at the weekends.

"After the discussions, I was delegated to bring it to the attention of
parents and suggest that they be vigilant with regard to the matter."

He refused to discuss precise drink-related incidents involving pupils, but
suggested youngsters had missed school because of drinking at the weekend
or had turned up with hangovers.

"We have seen pupils the worse for wear and have seen them quite ill, and
not able to come to school," he explained.

Mr Lamont said the letter had already prompted a positive reaction from
parents and particularly senior pupils, who agreed with him that younger
and younger children were found to be drinking.

He said: "It seems to be moving down the age spiral quite significantly. I
have had a number of parents thanking me for raising the issue.

"The school is concerned. Youngsters have enough difficulty to contend
with, and it is important we are seen to be supporting them."

Keith Brown, a local councillor, said yesterday that there was a
significant problem in the area because of under age drinking and
drug-taking. Despite closed-circuit television cameras and an almost
blanket ban on the public consumption of alcohol in Clackmannanshire,
youths continued to flout the law.

r Brown said he had received numerous complaints from residents about the
behaviour of youths in the town.

He explained: "There is rowdiness in the streets at the weekend and it is
not tangibly changing despite the new bylaws banning public drinking. It is
a problem, and I would support the rector's action if he has done it in
conjunction with the police.

"The rector is very proactive and is very dedicated. It is largely due to
his efforts that the school is doing well."

The school - which has 1,200 pupils aged 12 to 18 - is one of three state
secondary schools in Clackmannanshire, and has a reputation for strong
academic results.

Clackmannanshire Council yesterday welcomed the rector's stance and said
both the school and the local authority had a social responsibility to face
up to the issue.

But the director of education, Keir Bloomer, insisted the problem was not
unique to Clackmannanshire. He said: "Under age drinking is a national
problem."

"The council does have a general social responsibility and we want to try
to help families with problems of this kind."

The Scottish Council for Alcohol also welcomed the initiative.

A spokeswoman said: "Many parents take the attitude that as long as their
children are not taking drugs it is OK. But alcohol is the major issue and
people have to wake up to that."

According to a national study entitled Young Teenagers and Alcohol in
Scotland 1996, 14 per cent of 12-15 year olds admitted drinking alcohol in
1990.

By 1996 that figure had risen to 23 per cent, with those taking alcohol
drinking significantly more than youngsters ten years earlier.