Former addict calls for drug education rethink

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by Change | 22 Jul 2010

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Young people in Bristol need to get involved in drug education, a former addict-turned-campaigner has urged.

Young people in Bristol are not being educated properly on the dangers of drug abuse, with many pupils not responding well to existing warnings.

This is according to former heroin addict and anti-drugs campaigner Garry Brandrick, who said that youngsters need to be more involved in the process as they are best placed to educate their peers, the BBC reports.

The campaigner believes that pupils and students are more likely to respond if they can see firsthand the damage that drugs can do to people of their own age.

Mr Brandrick told the news provider that there is one person responsible for drug education in Bristol's schools; a figure he believes "says it all".

"It's about the type of education, it's about getting young people involved in the set up and the delivery of education that they want for themselves," he explained.

"These kids are keyed-up, they're bright kids and what they need is somebody their own age and be included - don't be excluding and give a package that somebody else has made up."

Those requiring drug addiction support in the south-west city often seek help from Bristol Drugs Project, its largest provider of free and confidential services.

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