DRINK AND DRUGS SHOCK IN MIDDLETON SCHOOLS

MIDDLETON children as young as 11 have at least one alcoholic drink in a
week, according to a survey carried out by Rochdale Council.

Other primary school pupils admitted that they smoke once or twice a week,
and a shocking one in five 12 to 15-year-olds have taken drugs.

These alarming figures, which are bound to shock parents and education
chiefs, came to light during a survey into the lives of children in
Middleton and the rest of the borough.

The results were presented to the council's community services committee by
Claire Hodgson of the Rochdale Drug and Alcohol Action Team.

The information was collected during the autumn term in 2005 and this
year's spring term, from pupils in years four and six in primary schools
and years eight and 10 in secondary schools.

It showed that 14 per cent - one in seven - of primary school pupils aged
eight to 11 said they had at least one alcoholic drink a week and that
increased to 28 per cent for secondary school pupils.

Ten per cent of primary school pupils also admitted they had smoked at
least once or twice and that rose to 46 per cent for secondary pupils.

Twenty-six per cent of all year 10 pupils said they had been offered drugs
and 21 per cent of year 10 boys and 22 per cent of year 10 girls said they
had taken at least one of the drugs listed on the questionnaire at some point.

When asked for reasons why, 77 per cent of secondary school pupils said 'to
look cool', 56 per cent said 'because friends encourage them' and 53 per
cent said they 'don't care about the risks.

Twenty-four per cent of primary pupils and 37 per cent of secondary pupils
were 'fairly sure or are certain' that they know someone who uses drugs
that are not medicines.

Five per cent of primary pupils and 22 per cent of secondary pupils said
they had been offered cannabis.

Away from drink and drugs, 15 per cent of secondary school pupils said they
were fairly certain they had friends who carried weapons or other things
for protection when going out.

But Miss Hodgson said there were positives to be taken from the survey.

She said: "More young people in 2006 are saying they have never tried
smoking. Rochdale pupils are less likely to say they know someone taking drugs.

"And we found with this survey that the use of drugs, smoking and alcohol
has decreased."

Miss Hodgson also said that young people hanging around in large gangs
could come from their own fear of crime and being attacked.

Councillor David Clayton, Rochdale cabinet member for children, schools and
families, said: "Whenever you question young people, by their very nature
some will be prone to exaggerate and say they have done things they haven't
really done.

"Schools do their best to try and instil in youngsters the values of a
stable lifestyle.

"But youngsters will always be and always have been prone to rebellion. And
one way of rebellion is through alcohol and drugs.

"I don't think we have got a larger problem here in Rochdale than other
urban areas"

THE Middleton schools which took part in the survey were Alderman Kay,
Alkrington Primary, Cardinal Langly, Hollin Primary, Langley Primary and
Middleton Technology School.