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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

drug search at school

394 replies

hahaRainbow · 13/02/2015 17:43

Is this legal? my ds has come home from school (state comp) where (he says) during a science class, a teacher arrived announcing that 'this is a drug free school and now we are going to have the sniffer dogs in'.

Apparently the kids were then lined up while a dog ran up and down sniffing them and another dog sniffed the classroom.

of course I'm not happy about drugs at school but I do wonder about the legalities of this and what IF a kid had been caught.... am I wrong to be worried?

OP posts:
OddBoots · 14/02/2015 07:54

I'd object to a body search of any child without a good cause and the presence of an appropriate adult.

I object to the proposed protest changes that would mean that you can't protest without paying police costs.

I would object if school or a specified curriculum was made compulsory for children.

I even think drugs should be legalised but with more support for rehab and greater legislation for harm caused by those taking drugs (while driving or otherwise).

I don't however object to children being protected using a non-invasive and safe process from the exposure to and pressures of drugs in school.

UncleT · 14/02/2015 08:04

Obviously not - neither I nor anyone else have said anything about 'swarming' with Police or anything remotely similar. We're talking about what is, it seems, one solitary visit from a drug dog. A mind-sharpenening visit once in a blue moon is not a bad plan. We've always had visits from Police at school.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 08:25

Well I don't like it at all actually, its a complete breach of civil rights. People might scoff at that but its a gateway to further infringements. You cannot do this in the workplace without prior notice so it shouldn't be happening in schools without prior warning. What kind of school environment does this make? tbf I'd be fuming if this happened to dd but then I'm an oddball loony leftie. I occasionally had weed on me in school and if this would have happened it could have fucked up my life with suspension etc, as it was it did me no harm.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 08:27

Its a very authoritive regime which I don't think makes for a good learning environment. Laugh all you want but there is evidence to back up my position so I'm not talking completely out my ass.

SoupDragon · 14/02/2015 08:34

Why on earth would anyone need to have weed on them in school?

UncleT · 14/02/2015 08:36

To sneak off to smoke?? Sell to others? Doesn't take much guessing, really.

SoupDragon · 14/02/2015 08:39

Yes, and all of those are things which shouldn't happen in school and, IMO justify something like the sniffer dogs. Using and dealing in drugs at a school is a world away from just having it on you.

SoupDragon · 14/02/2015 08:41

Just to add, I don't have a problem at all with people smoking weed in their own home or whatever but school is a complete inappropriate place to even have it.

UncleT · 14/02/2015 08:42

Of course it is, but it goes on a lot. It was pretty common in our school a good couple of decades ago, and the school was actually very good.

EveDallas · 14/02/2015 09:01

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest. But then I've spent the last 20 or so years being randomly drug tested a few times a year.

It wouldn't bother DD either - her only issue would be not being allowed to pet the dog.

A single spaniel rushing past a line of kids (because these things aren't slow) is highly unlikely to be scary or take more than a couple of seconds per kid. I'll never understand the 'human rights' aspect of things like this - if it keeps my DD safer then I'm all for it. It doesn't bother me (or DD) in airports, train stations, military installations or high risk tourist attractions where it happens daily - in a school a couple of times a year? Meh.

CrystalHaze · 14/02/2015 09:10

Oh, UncleT, you've made my day!

Are you genuinely saying that you're against sniffer dogs at school because if they'd done that back in your day you'd have been caught in possession of the drugs you took into school to sell to others and use yourself during the school day?

It's all very well saying it 'never did you any harm', but I think you might have fried a few more synapses than you realise if that's supposed to be a logical argument against preventative drug-control measures.

Priceless! Grin

CrystalHaze · 14/02/2015 09:12

Oh hell no, ignore me, I read your post completely wrong - I apologise unreservedly Blush

SoupDragon · 14/02/2015 09:13

It was bigjimsdiamondmine who is against sniffer dogs because they would have been caught in possession of drugs at school.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 09:41

Well at leady I've got a reason for any loss of common sense. I don't know what excuses you guys have got but random sniffer dog dog testing is a stepping stone in the wrong direction IMO.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 09:43

Imagine if your kid got caught with drugs that way and expelled, would you honestly still think it was a great idea?? It wouldn't matter if they were holding it for a mate or whatever, they'd get punished just the same and most likely cautioned.

UncleT · 14/02/2015 09:43

Why have we decided it was 'random'? Could just as easily have been a planned response time of a known issue.

UncleT · 14/02/2015 09:45

Crystal thanks for the chuckle. ð???

UncleT · 14/02/2015 09:46

Planned response to a known issue, that should have said (fucking autocorrect and tinier than usual phone).

EveDallas · 14/02/2015 09:47

Add message | Report | Message poster bigjimsdiamondmine Sat 14-Feb-15 09:43:51
Imagine if your kid got caught with drugs that way and expelled, would you honestly still think it was a great idea??

Yes.

Use or possession at school is beyond bad behaviour. She would deserve it. We are a zero tolerance family.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 09:49

You sound like the kind of mum one could go to with a problem. That must be a great environment to grow up in.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 09:51

I'm just going on the information in the op. The op didn't say it was planned, read as though it was a surprise so apologies if I got that wrong. Still think its a terrible idea. It will also discourage drug users from coming to school, when in reality they are often the ones who could benefit most from education.

EveDallas · 14/02/2015 09:52

No I'm a mum who lost a brother to drug abuse, whose 14 year old neice and 2 year old nephew lost their father to drug abuse. HTH.

bigjimsdiamondmine · 14/02/2015 09:53

I'm sorry for your loss. Your children are not the same as your brother though, surely they need to be able to talk openly and freely about drugs with you without fear of reprimand?

Coconutty · 14/02/2015 09:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Nicknacky · 14/02/2015 09:59

Being able to talk freely and openly about drugs is a million miles away from it being acceptable to have them on school grounds. My child would also deserve any punishment that came their way if that was the case.

If they make the choice to consume and possess drugs then they need to be adult enough to deal with the consequences.