Parent resources

All schools take drugs very seriously and most discuss drug abuse in their teaching of personal and social education. Most schools will now distinguish between the use and supply of illegal drugs – expulsion is almost always automatic for supply.

You can help by not making drugs an unmentionable horror; make sure that your children are aware of the legal and health risks involved. And remain approachable if your child is in difficulty because of drugs – either legal (alcohol and tobacco) or illegal (eg cannabis, ecstasy, cocaine). The Royal College of Psychiatrists has useful leaflet on alcohol and drugs (see under Mental Health Information on its website http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk">www.rcpsych.ac.uk or ring 020 7235 2351 for a copy).

If you are worried that your child is taking drugs, speak to a sympathetic doctor. Or you can contact Families Anonymous, which is a support group for concerned relatives and friends; it holds meetings all over the country and publishes much useful information, much of it free (helpline 0845 1200 660; website www.famanon.org.uk).