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Question and Answer Session All Party Parliamentary Group Meeting (Children and Cannabis)

by CanSS, posted 28 03 2011

Dr Barry Twigg: 

 Dr Twigg stated that a vast improvement in drug education needed to be pushed in our schools.  He asked to what extent the review spoken about by James Brokenshire during his address would make sure that quality of drug education provision in schools was good, not as at present. 

James Brokenshire: 

James Brokenshire agreed that it was as vital that parents were informed by drug education programmes as their children. 

Dr Barry Twigg: 

Many schools won’t and don’t provide support in cases of drug education in case it is seen as their school having drug issues.  There is still a huge area of denial in our schools. 

Mary Brett: 

During your address, you stated that medics were giving advice about the revision of FRANK.  Can I clarify that medics/doctors are not necessarily experts in drugs?  Scientists researching the field of drugs and the links to psychosis would be able to give far more accurate and up to date information and facts for the FRANK update and revision.  As far back as 2005, research proved the faulty gene for dopamine transmission is one in four.  If a young person carries that gene, the chance of developing a psychotic illness is raised by 5 – 6 times, if that young person picks up two copies of that gene, the risks are tenfold.  Robin Murray’s research in 2009 proved that there is a psychotic link for anyone who takes THC – just the amount required varies. 

James Brokenshire: 

It is a question of science and emerging research.  We need to confirm and reconfirm in checking to ensure that FRANK is robust in terms of science and research that is out there. 

Mary Brett: 

Mary Brett stated that contrary to James Brokenshire’s statement that drug use in young people is falling, it is in fact static. 

Dr Zerrin Atakan: 

There is more than one gene that is implicated in psychosis that is affected by cannabis.  She asked what age group FRANK targeted and stated that in her opinion, primary level Years 5/6 should also be targeted. 

James Brokenshire: 

It is an issue that needs to be looked at within terms of pastoral care in schools and within families.  That is where our early years intervention scheme will be useful. 

Mark Pinchin: 

Parents need to be informed as very often, children know far  more about current drugs than their parents. 

James Brokenshire: 

I take this point on board. 

Hugh Brett: 

Do you personally accept that cannabis/skunk causes psychosis? 

James Brokenshire: 

I accept scientific research that THC indicates psychosis. 

Hugh Brett: 

There is overwhelming evidence to prove this! 

James Brokenshire: 

Concerned about prevalence issues.   Perhaps home grown cannabis/skunk is more harmful? We need to continue to monitor evidence. 

Hugh Brett: 

In my opinion, FRANK is a waste of time and money. 

Susan Bedak: 

I am in complete agreement.  The advice given was inaccurate and unhelpful. 

Hugh Brett: 

If there was drug testing within schools, it would remove the peer pressure element on children because they would all know the risks of being caught. 

Deidre Boyd: 

Marks and Spencer’s have recently operated a staff drug training scheme (aimed at stopping staff from using drugs) which has proved very successful.  The drug counsellors were told by those members of staff that were parents that the education they had received had been invaluable in dealing with their own children.  We need to work more with employers to run similar schemes which would educate parents as well as better quality drug education in schools. 

James Brokenshire: 

It is important that the value of employers in drug education is recognised.  

Lesley Jakeman: 

Our Charity tries to raise awareness in schools by talking to the pupils about the dangers of drugs by using our experiences of the deaths of our children due to drug use.  Many schools are not welcoming to outside drug education; although once we do get to talk to children our approach is very effective.  Many teachers rely on FRANK where the information is inaccurate and this is not helpful.  FRANK just does not deliver the right information. 

Jeremy Edwards: 

What are the proposals for broadening and delivering whole prevention education?  More focus needs to be directed into doing this. 

James Brokenshire: 

It is about quality of provision.  Part of the review that the Department of Education is undertaking will deal with this.  It would be helpful to have feedback on what are relevant factors.  He will ask officials to reflect these comments.  He notes that FRANK does need to improve.  He agrees that there should be clear links to psychosis and the progression to other illegal drugs.  He agrees that drug prevention education needs to be given earlier. 

Charles Walker: 

Many thanks to James Brokenshire for his commitment to get drug education into schools.  I will continue to take questions as James has to leave. 

Charles Walker: 

There is clearly a commitment on behalf of the government to change things. We are interested in picking up on the education aspect within schools. 

Hugh Brett: 

We use exam results and league tables to check up good schools, why not use drug testing to check for drug use? 

Deidre Boyd: 

How about drug testing teachers?  There are many teachers who have indicated to their pupils that they don’t see cannabis as an issue. 

Mary Brett: 

At the school where I taught for 30 years, we had a police initiative to bring drug dos into the school.  The overwhelming majority of parents were in agreement to do this.  Any parent who was not in agreement of this initiative was at liberty to keep their children at home on the day of the planned visit.  This did not happen as on the whole, parents were pleased to know that their children were safe from drug use.  The children also enjoyed and welcomed these visits.  Many also expressed relief that it had removed the peer pressure from them. 

Charles Walker: 

We need to push harder with the Department for Education to encompass quality drug education. 

Mary Brett: 

FRANK needs total and accurate updating with more emphasis on harms and risks, using the most up to date research. 

Zerrin Atakan: 

The tobacco campaign has on the whole been successful.  Similar things should happen with cannabis.  I think people find FRANK punitive and scary – that won’t work with children.  I feel that we should make them see how they look to others.  We need to get focus groups from schools.  I don’t agree with drug testing as it would compromise human rights. 

Richard Roberts: 

I have worked in a variety of placements from prisons, etc and am now working as a psychiatric ward manager at an NHS hospital.  The majority of patients are young men, 90% of who have links to cannabis.  Huge numbers of young people are playing Russian roulette with their health. 

Zerrin Atakan: 

They are 1% of the total population. 

Charles Walker: 

Whatever statistics are used, nothing I have heard today convinces me that there Is less danger to our young people when using cannabis. 

Richard Roberts: 

We need far more education.  Perhaps teachers don’t have the knowledge? It would be a good idea to get ex users in as case studies. 

Lesley Jakeman: 

I agree.  It has a huge impact when we tell stories about our sons. 

Barry Twigg: 

Cut backs have stopped a lot of this.   Outside people such as ex users used to be brought into schools to share their experiences. 

Barbara Carter: 

I have recently retired from a deputy head ship.  Many schools behaviour policy is to exclude young people using/dealing drugs.  The education system continues to absolve itself from dealing with drug issues.  There needs to be more call made on the Department of Education.  We need to target children as young as key stages 3, 4, 5 and 6 as well as secondary level with accurate, quality drug prevention education.  There is an urgent need for the Department of Education to send in teachers who know what they are talking about with drugs. 

Mark Pinchin: 

We need to campaign for better drug prevention education.  Teachers and parents need to know where to get free materials (internet and paper).  Mostly teachers do want to do something but just don’t know how.  

Mary Brett: 

We  (CanSS) have a website which has a great deal of information for teachers which they can freely access.  We have also published a drug prevention book aimed at teachers.

 Mike Petch: 

My observation is that there are lots of interested parties, but everything is fragmented.

 Lucy Dawe: 

There is also a problem with schools being instructed by their education authorities not to take outside materials but to use materials endorsed by themselves.  This is invariably drawn from FRANK which is not accurate. 

Jeremy Edwards: 

There should be more emphasis placed on the dangers of skunk. 

Zerrin Atakan: 

It is legal to buy seeds, and all the equipment needed to grown skunk.  It is just illegal to grow it. 

Charles Walker:   

Perhaps you would all like to discuss and decide what you would like as the subject of the next APPG meeting and who you would like to speak. 

Deidre Boyd: 

May be we could talk to the people responsible for FRANK?

It was agreed that more discussion would take place on this point and that Mary Brett and Jeremy Edwards would get back to Charles Walker.