Why am I so shocked . drugs yr7

[wakeupandsmellthecoffee]

Justbamazed really . friends husband told me he has had to caution 2 yr7 students for drug related incidents. this is not in an inner London school it's leafy Surrey. My child doesn't attend this school . just seems so sad that at the tender age of 11 / 12 they have been introduced to to drugs and selling it.

I have been in 2seperate houses where you could actually smell it because they were growing it .Must have been in the loft.

A large proportion of the schools round these parts have had the toilet blocks demolished, made open plan - it has a lot of benefits - girls will not stick orange slap on in front of boys, Boys won't dare not wash their hands, no corners for bullying or dealing - although I suppose things could be left in cubicles if the recipient was waiting outside to go into that specific cubicle.

"Every playground has its dealer"
You have to be kidding me?

isla - well every secondary school. 99.99% - every would be a sweeping generalisation

That is such a frightening thought.

Year 7??? That is so sad and so scary as my DS has just gone into year 7.

Life is so different from when I was growing up. Don't think I had heard of drugs at age 11.

I just asked my DS about his school and he said here are corners of the playground that you just don't o near.

Cider - me too. But I am trying not to be scared, just open about it.

I know of a girl who's just started Yr 7 who has no doubt had the odd toke of a joint. She's good friends with a girl who smokes weed in Yr 8. It is very young to start and I would be mortified if DD did something at her age (11). I think I had my first toke of a joint aged around 14 or 15 (mind you, that was mostly through lack of opportunities rather than any kind of moral code that I may have had ).

Schools are a reflection of society? You get all types. They reflect, in the main, their parents attitudes.

In wider society there are people you mix with and people you don't. Schools are much the same. You bring your kids up with the right values and ideals and it is unlikely they will mix with people who don't share those ideals.

I could really freak you out - when DS2 was in Y6, he had a girl in care in his class who was on the game. The school was a new placement. We often used to see her outside the local pub at 11pm looking for trade. And yes, SS knew.

Not so sure about the reflecting parents attitude thing. Friend of mine grew up in quite a rural part of the west country. Drug taking among his friends from that area was rife as a teenager and they still do now. His parents would never have approved. Other's parents, perhaps. It was mainly cannabis until they got a bit older I think.

I see these people on average once a year through a social gathering - drugs aren't my thing so I don't partake and some others don't but most of them still do a bit. Whether it's regular use or not, I don't know. They all do hold down regular jobs and all of them (without exception) seem to have successful careers.

My friend himself says he started smoking cannabis aged 12 which seems frighteningly young to me! By comparison, at my school I never knew of anyone who did any drugs. We watched videos about how bad it was and to me that was that - they would kill me for sure! Until I got to university, mixed with a wider range of people and tried a little.

As it happens, I don't think it has done any harm to my friend at all. He has done very well for himself and is now a Dr (not medical although some of the medics at university seemed to be the heaviest drug takers). That's not saying I would want anyone to start doing any kind of drug aged 12 or I agree with it but it hasn't had a negative impact on his individual life.

jumping that's terrifying and so very wrong!:(

My stepson and his friend were offered pills on their first week in Y7.
Thankfully he said no and told someone.

Jumping at that age she hasn't decided for herself to be on the game without some previous sexually abuse going on has she? I find it more sickening and saddening than I do shocking. Poor girl.

IMO there isn't a secondary school in the country that doesn't have a problem with drugs. It is a fact of life.

Odd though - I'm musing - if you are 'middle' class and do drugs it's widely seen as 'recreational'; if you are on the lower/lowest end of the social scale it's definitely a social ill.

I worked in the city for 20 years, and people shoving stuff up their nose was accepted - but if they'd injected - oooh no!

I really am very anti illegal drugs - there is no middle ground for me. Never been tempted to try it.

You would be amazed what kids know about drugs now. Our DS1 is in Yr 8 and he knows all the slang, drug culture, etc.

Its all talk but they get taught about it in school as part of thw national curriculum and before long they will know someone who knows someone who knows someone who takes drugs. Agree with others that all the education and then add in the internet and it is just part of youth culture.

Not in my family but private schools, nice families, it pretty common place.

My Aunt taught at a very exclusive mixed interdependent school and the drugs there were shocking. The kids all had a lot of money and made no bones about what it went on.

we comment between ourselves that the local private school do cocaine and the school I'm talking about have to settle for skunk .
when we went for a look around the school my ds goes to admitted that it wasn't just smoking of tobacco in the toilets but they knew about it and we're trying to stop it but said they were admitting it and not denuding tin.
the school I'm referring to say they have no bullying (it's rfe) and no drgs . total denial.

Denying it

Me 'n' DS2 are just talking about this now - grammar school, he says you know who is doing and apparently I know them as pupils from his primary (that narrows it down!). I can't say I'm shocked, you can always spot those who entrepreneurial.

Although he tells me it isn't drugs per se that is the problem, it's contraband dealing;, fags, fizzy drinks, chocolate.

They are bright enough to not be caught because they deal off site - I knew the Y10 boys take cricket bags, clean out Asda of doughnuts in the morning (trays of 12 for £12 and re-sell on the school bus for 50p each. They turn over £70-£100 a morning. Packet of fags are £6 - each fag is sold on for £1. Lidl does 6 packs of lucozade on special offer @ £2, each bottle is traded on for £1.20

*trays of 12 for £2