TEENAGE DRUG USE A COMMUNITY PROBLEM

Marlborough Boys College deserves credit for being upfront about potential
drug problems, writes The Marlborough Express in an editorial. This week
police with a sniffer dog searched four classes for drugs. They did not find
any, only indications that cannabis may have been smoked around students'
property in recent days. That does not necessarily mean it was smoked at
school or that the students smoked dope. However, it does show that the
school is awake to the issue and is dealing with it.

Anyone thinking that this is a poor reflection on the boys college is
mistaken. Teenage drug use is common to every high school up and down the
country, and the police have made it clear that all the colleges in the
region can expect similar searches if it is suspected students are exposed
to drug use.

The important message being given is that drug use will not be tolerated.
Schools cannot afford to turn a blind eye to teenage drug use because there
is plenty of evidence that shows it affects students' studies and behaviour.
Students know this because they learn about the effects of drugs in health
lessons. Hopefully by seeing police searches they will realise the
seriousness with which it is viewed.

How schools deal with students found to be smoking cannabis, or using any
other drugs, can be critical. Increasingly colleges are finding that simply
suspending a student is not the answer because it does not deal with the
problem itself and simply results in the student losing out on an education.
Instead, some schools are mentoring students and at the same time insisting
that they take random drug tests to ensure they are staying drug-free and
keeping their side of the bargain in being allowed to continue at school. If
they do not then the school is right to say they have no right to an
education.

However, schools cannot be expected to deal with this problem alone, it is a
community problem. Teenagers do not usually smoke dope at school, they do at
home, at parties and other places, but not at school. It is just that the
problems from drug use become apparent at school through poor performance.
It is the responsibility of parents to ensure their teenage sons and
daughters are not dope smoking. Unfortunately some parents do so themselves,
sending the wrong message to their children. Teenagers need good role
models. Marlborough Boys College is being one. Parents should welcome that,
and the community should congratulate the college for enforcing its zero
tolerance to drugs policy.