Managing Drug-related Incidents

Drug-related incidents in schools may not be very common, but they can arise suddenly and require immediate attention. They can cause tricky problems.

Where in your work might you encounter drug-related issues?

• problems on the site - e.g. needles and other drug paraphernalia (glue bags, bhongs)
• problems with young people while in your care - e.g. intoxication during contact time
• problems with young people outside of your formal contact time - e.g. young people getting drunk/stoned and coming in to class unable to work; your knowledge of their drug-use in their leisure time
• problems with young people who are not in your institution - e.g. older young people, siblings of young people in your care
• problems of parents/carers - e.g. mums coming drunk to pick up kids; dads who drunkenly and violently complain about your institution; illegal drug use by parents: what should you do, if anything?
• problems of other adults in the community - e.g. dangerous driving while intoxicated; shopkeepers who sell cigarettes, alcohol and volatile substances
• problems among staff - e.g. disregarding the institution’s rules on smoking; drink problems; inability of the institution to agree on a consistent approach to drugs because of staff’s widely differing views
• problems with media stars: e.g. difficulties of discussing the drug-related opinions of musicians
• can you think of others?
• Drug-related incidents in schools may provide an opportunity for education about drugs.

All schools and other educational establishments should have an incident management policy.

An example of a drug-related incident management policy

Some special considerations when drug-related incidents involve SEN pupils -

• parents may be more closely involved with their children and with the school – more consultation may be required
• parents, teachers and other adults may find drug-related incidents that involve SEN pupils more shocking than if non-SEN young people were involved
• the school’s role in ‘protecting’ ‘vulnerable’ young people (particularly where SEN pupils are in mainstream schools) may be more to the fore
• schools may have more involvement in the lives of SEN pupils. For example, they may have responsibility for supervision on coaches travelling to and from school
• those SEN pupils in residential establishments: ‘may be particularly subject to peer pressure, and may need specific support’ (Circular 4/95).