THE 12-YEAR-OLDS WHO ARE USING HEROIN

Drink And Drugs Problem Revealed Among Primary Pupils

NEARLY one third of pre-teen children surveyed in one Scottish city have
been exposed to illegal drugs, new research revealed yesterday.

It said cannabis was the illegal drug most widely used but estimates that
60 primary schoolchildren in Glasgow will have taken heroin.

The report, by Glasgow University's Centre for Drug Misuse Research, found
5.1% of 10 to 12-year-olds in the city had used drugs. It was commissioned
after the death of a 13-year-old from a heroin overdose in Glasgow in 1998.

The most disturbing case researchers came across was that of an 11 to
12-year-old girl who regularly used cannabis, amphetamines, LSD and
ecstasy. The girl, who managed to conceal her lifestyle from her family,
said that she also drank alcohol at weekends.

The report compared illegal drug use in Glasgow with Newcastle and found
that in the latter only 2.7% of 10 to 12-year-olds had used drugs. In
Newcastle, underage drinking was a bigger problem.

Professor Neil McKeganey, one of the report's authors, described the
findings as "shocking" and said more had to be done to educate children to
stop them becoming "the addicts of tomorrow".

He said: "When one looks at the age of the children we are talking about,
it is shocking. With children, there is no such thing as recreational drug
use. It is a worrying scenario as there are very high risks that many of
these children will go on to develop multiple problems."

He also said it was a cause for concern that some of the children
interviewed thought cannabis was legal and not harmful.

The report found 30.7% of the pre-teen children had been exposed to illegal
drugs while 9.2% had been offered illegal drugs.

The research team also looked at factors associated with illegal drug use,
and attitudes towards illegal drugs in the pre-teen age group and their
views on drug education.

In terms of knowledge and attitudes, the anti-heroin messages of recent
years seem to have been well absorbed. However, when invited to elaborate
on their views, the majority revealed a knowledge of individual drugs that
was vague.

A high proportion of the children distinguished between cannabis and other
illicit drugs with the former often being regarded as relatively benign.

There were clear preferences over drug education. Many wanted to be
provided with information on which to base informed choices, as opposed to
a "just say no" approach.

Professor McKeganey said there was a need for better education to tackle
the problem.

He said: "One of the continuing challenges for drug education is to develop
materials and approaches which are as relevant both to those young people
who do not have any interest in, or knowledge about, illegal drugs as well
as meeting the rather different needs of those pupils who have already
started to use illegal drugs.

"This will require an approach to drug education that is tailored to
individual children's needs."

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Drugs Forum said: "We have not seen the
research. However, there is a continuing need to tackle the root causes of
drug misuse and to improve the range of treatment services and education."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said it would incorporate the report's
messages into the school curriculum.

A total of 2318 children aged 10 to 12 were interviewed for the study,
which was funded by the Department of Health.