'Huge' number of pupils engage in substance abuse

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by Change | 1 Dec 2008

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A careworker claims there are a very high number of secondary school pupils engaging in the abuse of a variety of substances.

There are a "huge" number of school children engaging in illegal drug abuse, a leading Essex careworker asserts.

Steve Woods, centre manager for Open Road, claims there are an increasing amount of young people who are open about their behaviour when his organisation give talks to secondary schools, the East Anglian Daily Times reports.

While he says alcohol and cannabis use are the most common forms of substance abuse this age group engages in, both ecstasy and cocaine use are also on the rise.

He says the results of these forms of drug abuse lead to kids becoming "very, very angry".

Mr Woods tells the news provider: "It's incredible. I ask teachers to look away. There's a huge amount of cannabis use and a huge amount of alcohol use."

Attributing this rise to the increasing accessibility of the internet and a lack of structured activities targeted at young people, he suggests the UK has a culture of "instant gratification and constant entertainment".

In recent related news, the Wakefield-based ABLE Project, which offers young people with drug addictions the opportunity to learn life skills through working on a fish farm, is to expand to Rotherham.

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