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Hosted by Drugsline advocate Lee Scott MP, the reception was chaired by 13 year old Taylah Miller, a student from Valentines High School. Drugsline invited young people from schools across London to share their views on drugs education, having taken part in Drugsline’s unique programme in their schools. A common theme within the pupils’ speeches was their confusion as to why drugs education does not receive the same weighting as sex education within the classroom, when both are such equally critical and relevant topics of concern for young people.
Taylah Miller shared his thoughts about drugs education, commenting:
“Drugs are as relevant to kids as they are to adults – it is all around us and it is talked about, but not in school. I would know where to find them and how much they cost. But Drugsline offers the only rock solid basis of information in terms of how they might affect me and what harm they cause. Teachers have the appropriate experience to provide sex education but not to provide drugs education – which is why we need people like Drugsline who can relate to it.”
Rabbi Sufrin, Executive Director of Drugsline, thanked the young people for bravely sharing their thoughts and encouraged them to continue to lead their peers in such a dynamic way. Commenting on Drugsline’s Schools work, he commented:
“My greatest concern – as well as a huge part of why I am always inspired to continue our work despite the challenges we face daily – is considering what may happen if we weren’t there. If Drugsline did not provide its services, how many of the pupils we visited last academic year would not have received any drugs education.
“This is a risk we cannot afford to take. There are potentially serious consequences if young people do not receive appropriate information about drugs and addiction. We think about how to communicate with young people most effectively – this is key.”
Dr. Brian Iddon MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Drugs Misuse Group spoke about the importance of drugs education and promised to share the views he heard with his Parliamentary colleagues.
Rabbi Sufrin called upon all politicians present to back Drugsline’s campaign for better drugs education in schools and called upon Members of Parliament present to encourage their colleagues to sign Early Day Motion 500, which calls upon the Government to adequately fund preventative drugs education programmes such as those offered by Drugsline.
Drugsline’s dedicated Schools Team presented their work and led the guests in an interactive activity used in the classroom to portray the effects of drugs. School workers Lisa Griffiths and Tina Hine explained their work and highlighted their aim to deliver programmes to 50,000 pupils this academic year – surpassing last year’s achievement of 30,000 – and the long term target of providing specialist drugs education for every pupil in the UK.
Lisa Sharman, a pupil at Wanstead High School, who has taken part in Drugsline’s unique programme and last June spoke at an event to mark the officially opening of the Operational Suite by HRH The Earl of Wessex. Addressing the guests in Parliament commented:
“We are all faced with peer pressure and we are continuously subjected to drug use around us – so why are we not learning the truth about drugs from the beginning of schools? It is thanks to Drugsline that I understand the reasons for addiction and how dangerous drugs can be – it is my right to be provided with this education from people that really know about it.”
Filsan Farah and Zahra Ahmed from Willowfields School, also contributed to the event. Filsan commented:
“We have recently been visited by Tina from Drugsline, who gave us a wider view about drugs. She told us personal stories and it made the whole class think about what would happen to us if we ended up in that situation. But this was the first lesson we had ever had! Drugs education gives us the opportunity to make an informed choice.”
Margaret Lamb, Head of PHSE at Davenant, spoke to the guests about how privileged she feels to be able to call on Drugsline to come into every year group in her school, commenting:
“Without the Drugsline team, I do not know how we would succeed in our drugs education – their sessions provide much more impact than if they were led by a teacher.”
Notes:
EDM 500 was tabled in December 2007 by Lee Scott MP and to date has over 50 signatories. The full text of the EDM is:
‘That this House welcomes the work of Drugsline, the independent drugs crisis, information and support charity; praises their education outreach programme for schools team, comprised of recovering addicts and those who work in frontline addiction services who inspire the trust and confidence of the young people they visit; notes that in the academic year 2006-07 the charity saw over 30,000 students aged eight to 18 and aims to reach 50,000 in 2007-08; notes that charities such as Drugsline remain massively under-resourced with little or no Government funding; and calls on the Government to give serious consideration to adequately funding preventative drugs education programmes such as Drugsline.’
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