40% OF SCOTS TEENAGERS OFFERED DRUGS

FORTY per cent of all Scots schoolchildren between the ages of 12 and 15
have been offered drugs, a new survey has revealed.

The Scottish executive has concluded that tens of thousands of pupils in
private and comprehensive schools across the country have been offered
cannabis or amphetamines since they began secondary education.

The figures came to light yesterday as three pupils at the Prime Minister
Tony Blair's former school were expelled for taking drugs. The
sixth-formers, all boys, have been ordered to leave Edinburgh's Fettes
College, following two separate incidents of drug-taking, believed to
involve cocaine and cannabis.

The Smoking, Drinking and Drug Misuse among Young People survey was carried
out by the National Foundation for Educational Research on behalf of the
Scottish executive and the Department of Health.

It found that among more than 4,700 pupils in 150 schools in Scotland forty
per cent of all pupils, both boys and girls, had been offered drugs in the
past 12 months and 22 per cent of 15-year-olds confessed to experimenting
with narcotics.

Cannabis emerged as the main drug of choice for schoolchildren, with 13 per
cent of 15-year-olds admitting to trying the drug in the past year. A
further 3 per cent confessed to trying ecstasy and amphetamines.

Last night, Judith Gillespie, the development manager of the Scottish
Parent Teacher Council, the national organisation for PTAs in Scotland,
suggested that the problem would continue to get worse if the drug issue in
schools continues to be pushed under the carpet.

She said: "This should come as no surprise to the people working in schools
all over Scotland. Drugs are one of the most serious issues affecting
schools today.

"No matter where schools are based, whether in rural or urban areas or if
they are run privately or by the state, the pupils will be vulnerable to
the threat of drugs."

"The findings of this survey are probably the tip of the iceberg as far as
drug use in schools is concerned. Today most schools are still reluctant to
admit they have a drugs problem, they are often too concerned about the
adverse publicity drugs attract.

"What we need is an open and honest forum to discuss the drugs problem in
schools."

Fettes College was drawn into the issue of drug taking after three
sixth-formers were caught red-handed with class A and class B drugs. The
£11,000-a-year school may now introduce random testing for its pupils as
part of a major drugs crackdown.

It emerged last night that the Fettes headmaster made the decision to expel
the three teenagers after evidence of drug taking was discovered during a
sixth-form business studies trip last week and a sixth-form disco at the
school at the weekend.

In the first incident, a 17-year-old believed to be the son of a QC, was
suspected of drinking alcohol on a school trip to Belgium. When he denied
the accusations he was asked to take a drugs test, which he failed. He was
expelled from the school on Monday.

In the second incident two other pupils, aged 16 and 17, were found to be
carrying cannabis and cigarette-rolling papers in their pockets when they
were searched at a school disco.

Yesterday, Fettes Headteacher, Michael Spens, described the expulsions as a
"personal tragedy" for the pupils involved.

He said: "These pupils have been very foolish and they have been punished.
For them it is a personal tragedy. The school line is very clear and one
which all parents and pupils understand. Possession of drugs of any sort is
expressly forbidden."

Mr Spens said the 575-pupil school's current position on drug testing was
that it would be carried out only when there was suspicion of misuse by pupils.

But he could not rule out the possibility of the school following the
example set by the Edinburgh Academy and introducing random testing.

He said: "It is one of those issues that is always under review.