ORGANISED CRIME AND DRUGS IN SCHOOL

I have written on both organised crime, the use of school children to courier drugs and drugs in school. It has been interesting to read the information the Police have released and the reactions of a couple of Schools. Obviously there has been a communication problem. I think we all need to take on board there is a growing drug problem in schools and no school is immune. Any school that thinks it is, is in denial. Organised gangs use youngsters to do their dirty work because that is the way they operate. The risks appear low to the youngsters involved because that is what they have been told and there is a 'big pay off'. Parents need to be aware of who their children mix with, the ready access to funds with no source being apparent or appearance of expensive equipment/clothing with no apparent source of funds to purchase them. Parents can often go into denial because of the seriousness of what their child could be up to or because their belief their child would not do something wrong, or worst it would have a poor reflection on them. Bad news does not get better with age. An early intervention could save considerable grief down stream for your child and yourself. Schools also need to be aware of unusual amounts of money carried by students. We are all in this situation together and if we are to reduce the impact of drugs on our society then it is a team effort.