Pubdate: Wed, 21 Jun 2000 Source: Press, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 2000 The Christchurch Press Company Ltd. Contact: Private Bag 4722, Christchurch, New Zealand Fax: +64-3-364-8238 Website: http://www.press.co.nz/ Author: Tara Ross SUSPENSIONS OVER DRUGS RISE IN SCHOOLS Drug-related offences comprised 104 of the 1482 total suspensions from Canterbury schools in 1998 to 1999, up from 82 out of 1227 in the previous 12 months. All schools in Christchurch have some form of drug education as part of the health curriculum, which can include police and celebrity visits along with health information. All schools also have a zero-tolerance policy, but methods for monitoring and reducing drug usage among students range from doing almost nothing to get-tough policies, including random police searches and the suspension or expulsion of drug-abusing students. Burnside High School principal Graham Stoop said his school supports active co-operation with the police for occasional dog searches. Other schools said any student caught with cannabis is referred immediately to the youth aid section of the police. Mairehau High School principal Neil Lancaster said such students are required to take on a drug education and counselling programme, drawn up in conjunction with support agencies and the students' families. Christchurch Boys' High School principal Colin Croudis said students who were known to be using cannabis irregularly at weekends were currently undergoing counselling and urine tests as part of a programme drawn up with their parents. Schools stressed that decriminalisation would put pressure on their ability to deal with drug use. Schools have recommended an inter-agency approach to combating drug use with a co-ordinated response from law enforcement agencies, community groups, schools, and families. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D