Child, 6, takes dope to school

Northland children as young as 6 years old are being caught with cannabis at school.

Police say many Northlanders smoke cannabis - this week it was revealed that of the 141,000 plants seized nationally in the 2008-09 season, almost half were in Northland - and many parents are exposing their children to the drug.

In the latest incident, two boys aged just 11 and 12 were caught with cannabis at Russell Primary School.

The Bay of Islands' top cop, Senior Sergeant Peter Robinson, said police were called to the school and spoke to two boys about a bag of cannabis one of the pair had brought to school. They were later referred to Youth Aid.

One of the boys had found a bag with a small amount of cannabis when he was playing in the bush. He had taken it to school, then given it to another boy who was later seen showing the drug to friends outside school. It was brought to the attention of the principal, who alerted police.

In June, a 6-year-old boy brought 10 cannabis tinnies to Whangarei's Totara Grove School in a McDonald's bag. It is thought he had taken the bag to school by mistake.

Russell's sole police officer, Constable Mark Caswell, said finding primary school-aged children with cannabis was unusual - "but not as unusual as people think, sadly. How young some of these people are is quite incredible."

Caswell said the families of the two boys in the latest incident had been co-operative and he did not believe cannabis was smoked at home.

However, Northland parents needed to "take a look at themselves" and be aware that children could pick up their habits.

"It seems to be that in Northland we accept cannabis, and that's wrong. The mental-health issues it creates are shocking."

Deputy Secretary for Regional Education, Rawiri Brell, said ministry data showed about one in every 1000 students in the region was suspended for drugs - equal to the national rate.

"The issue of drugs in schools is one of national importance, and is not restricted to the schools in Northland," he said.

In Northland in 2007, 35 students were suspended for drug abuse from one primary, two intermediate and 13 secondary schools. Last year 12 students from five schools were suspended.

Tai Tokerau Principals' Association president Pat Newman said children brought cannabis to a primary school to"show and tell" friends or because their parents had asked them to give it to another child to pass to their parents.

However, schools dealt every day with the "disastrous" effects of cannabis, alcohol and methamphetamine (or P) on children's lives.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE