Drugs & Alcohol - Young People & Drugs
Introduction
Sometimes, simply talking to your children can be hard work. Often, they reach a particular age when they don't want to discuss much with you, don't think you opinion is valid and that you don't really understand what it is like to be living life at their age.
While this period of development is something most young people go through, to some extent they are perfectly correct in their views. As parents we grew up in a different age, we faced different pressures and problems, we enjoyed different things, and we faced different challenges. Very often a young person will send out a clear signal to a parent or adult that they are "out of touch" and don't know what is going on, and that is very often true where drugs are concerned.
You wouldn't try to hold an educated conversation with a pilot about the vagaries of cross wind landings, or with a Doctor about a complex medical issue because it would be a subject you don't know that much about and all too often, talking to young people about drugs is exactly the same.
Are drugs a problem in our area?
As many of the schools in the Samuel Whitbread pyramid are located in villages or small towns, the drugs issue in our part of Central Bedfordshire is nowhere near as severe as it is in some places, especially larger towns and in inner cities. That said no one lives in a drug free area.
Meaow-Meaow: Spring 2010
In spring 2010, the newspapers ran several stories concerning the deaths of young people who had taken a drug which although now classified as a Class B controlled drug, was at that time perfectly legal. The drug was called Meaow-Meaow and was supposed to give a "legal high" to those who took it. Many parents had, at that time, never heard of it. Not as Meaow-Meaow, or bubbles, or Mephedrone, or any of its other names, and yet it was the fourth most popular drug amongst young people after cannabis, ecstasy, and cocaine.
Although many parents had never heard of it, it is a fair bet that a lot of people in their late teens had. We are not for one second saying that every ones child uses drugs, because that would not be true, but what we are saying is that many young people know a lot more about drugs than us parents.
They learn about drugs, and their dangers at School, from their friends as well as from many other sources, and this is a good thing. The more they know the less likely they are to experiment and the more likely they are to see drugs as dangerous.
Where can you go to find out about drugs?
Drugs fall into several different and quite distinct categories.
Over the Counter (OTC)
These are drugs you can pick up in a supermarket or pharmacy with no restrictions other than the age of the purchaser.
Pharmacy only
These drugs are only available from a pharmacy and in some cases, the pharmacist must be made aware of the customer who is making the purchase to ensure they are old enough and they may need to ask you some questions, as the item you are purchasing may inter act with an existing medical condition or other medication you are taking.
Prescription only
These drugs can only be obtained from a qualified GP, other doctor or prescribing practitioner, and can only be provided by a pharmacist or chemist. Many surgeries now have trained nurse practitioners who can deal with many problems and can prescribe accordingly. That said there are still many drugs that only a qualified Doctor can prescribe.
Designer drugs
This term covers drugs which have no medical use and are not manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. They are manufactured in totally uncontrolled environments often by individuals with little or no knowledge of chemistry and drug manufacture, solely for distribution and sale on the illegal drugs market.
The legality of use and possession
The legality of use and possession of drugs is covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 which designates which drugs are controlled substances and puts them into three categories.
The Misuse of Drugs Act states that it is an offence to:
- Possess a controlled substance unlawfully
- Possess a controlled substance with intent to supply it
- Supply or offer to supply a controlled drug (even if it is given away for free)
- Allow a house, flat or office to be used by people taking or smoking drugs
Many of these drugs are ones a Doctor can prescribe, such as many painkillers, which are categorised as Class C controlled drugs. Having them on a prescription is not a problem. Having them without a prescription means you are in unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
Controlled Substances
The three categories of controlled drugs are:
CLASS A: The most dangerous drug category. These include Ecstasy, LSD, heroin, cocaine, crack, magic mushrooms. For possessing a Class A drug a Court can give up to seven years in prison or an unlimited fine or both. For dealing in Class A drugs a Court can sentence a person to up to life in prison or an unlimited fine or both.
CLASS B: This category contains drugs like Amphetamines, cannabis and Ritalin. For possessing a class B drug a Court can impose an unlimited fine, up to five years in Prison, or both. For dealing, up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.
CLASS C: Many painkillers and tranquillisers are Class C controlled substances, as are other drugs like GHB (see the Date Rape part of this section), some types of steroids and Ketamin. Caught in illegal possession of a Class C drug? A Court can hand out up to two years in prison and an unlimited fine. Caught dealing? Up to 14 years in prison and again, an unlimited fine.
We have included in this section of BEST Advice information sheets on four of the main illegal drugs, together with a separate sheet on Date Rape drugs. Just click on the links below and it will take you to a separate pdf document giving you information on that particular drug.
Further Information
For more information on drugs, we recommend you visit probably the best internet website there is on the subject. The Governments campaign on drugs isn't just about enforcement and detection. While that plays a big part they are also making every effort to ensure that parents, carers, guardians, teachers and other adults who work closely with children have the information available to find out about drugs.
The Government's campaign, called "Talk to Frank" has a flag ship website which we wholeheartedly recommend to every parent. There are too many individual websites concerning drugs to list here, but if you visit Talk to Frank and still need more information, then any search engine will bring you back a massive list of sites on just about every illegal drug there is.
Finally, if you have any information concerning drugs, especially their sale to young people, remember you can pass it on in total confidence using the contact details shown in the CrimeStoppers section of BEST Advice.