Students' cigarette breaks shock anti-smoking group

An anti-smoking group is appalled over revelations that Whangarei children are allowed to smoke cigarettes during breaks from alternative education classes.

Whangarei has five alternative education providers with places for 62 students aged between 13 and 15 who have been alienated from mainstream schools, Whangarei Alternative Education co-ordinator Isopo Samu said.

He acknowledged children were allowed to smoke, after a complaint to the Northern Advocate newspaper from the caregiver of a 14-year-old alternative education student.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) spokesman Murray Laugesen said the decision was completely irresponsible and he was appalled to hear such young children were being allowed to smoke.

"It (nicotine) is a highly addictive drug and is quite unlike alcohol or marijuana, it is far more addictive. If they begin at age 13 they greatly increase the chance of being addicted.

"I can understand how they feel but that is not the solution, to use permission to smoke as a means of discipline," Dr Laugesen said.

Mr Samu said the students had been out of school for a long time, some of them for up to two years.

"You have to recognise that we are not a mainstream school. Parents sign a consent form if they want their child to be allowed to smoke during breaks.

"When you start putting the rules on, like mainstream schools, a high percentage don't turn up. If they are not there then we cannot do anything with them," Mr Samu said.

Alternative education providers had 85 to 100 per cent attendance, he said.

Students attending alternative education programmes often had problems with drugs like alcohol, cannabis and methamphetamine -- also known as speed -- or P, a pure form of speed.

"Cigarettes are the least of their problems," Mr Samu said.

Having the students turn up so the providers could work with them was far more beneficial than not having them turn up at all, he said.

A modified version of the Rubicon programme which tested students for cannabis is being used by the providers.

"Students are tested for cannabis but unlike in mainstream schools where they would be kicked out, we work with them to attempt to bring their use of cannabis down.

"We do all of the health and safety stuff with them. In reality these kids are going to carry on regardless," Mr Samu said.

But Dr Laugesen said the negative health effects on other non-smoking students was an issue.

"Schools should be a smokefree zone and will become so if the Smoke Free Environment Amendment Bill passes through Parliament.

"All schools and their grounds will be smokefree," Dr Laugesen said.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)