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118
Report of the Principal School Medical Officer for the Year 1968
DRUGS, MEDICAMENTS, AND SCHOOL
At the present time, the problem of drug taking by school children is demanding close study by
many groups of people who have children's well being at heart. Parents, teachers, social workers and
police are searching for ways to attack this growing insidious menace, but are mainly frustrated by
the lack of precise information on its prevalence among any specific group of children. Official statistics
tell us something of the problem showing the number of dependants in age groups over the past few
years on the so called "hard" drugs. The deplorable tendency is for these figures to relate to children
of lower and lower ages. These statistics must be suspect since they record only those registered with
and known to the Department of Health. No figure can be given for those who purchase their requirements
on the open (black) market and the early experimenters. The number of these is problematical.
Much more worrying is the absence of statistics relating to the use by many young people of
so called "soft" drugs, barbiturates, tranquilizers, hypnotics, L.S.D., marajuana, etc. We know this
must be a large figure and suspect that it is rising; but this can only be speculation, opinion, informed
guessing or plain rumour.
Talks and discussions with the older children in schools produce little new information, though
some members reveal that they have heard of other children who take or experiment with drugs, but
the informant has received this knowledge third or fourth hand. None will admit to accurate knowledge
of particular experimenters, places of receipt or collection and methods of dispersal. "It is too late to
talk to the 15/17 year olds" we are informed. "You should direct your propaganda to the 11/12 year
olds". Is this so, and would the knowledge obtained whet their curiosity for experimentation, or
would they accept such knowledge as impersonally as the date of the Battle of Hastings?
Clearly the co-operation of school children must be obtained and every suspicion of unauthorised
medication examined carefully. It is necessary to say unauthorised, because it is certain that a number
of children may need to take medicaments specially prescribed for them by their family doctor for
some current medical condition. Children who take school meals and are away from home all day
may need part of their medication at lunch time in the form of tablet, pill, capsule or liquid medicine.
This practice must pose problems for teachers since the question will rise as to the administration
and supervision of the drug. Indeed, should the school child be in possession at all?
It is possible that some children are aware of acquaintances in their midst who experiment or
use drugs. While it is unlikely that they will disclose such information about their fellows, they should
be encouraged to give information about suppliers and pushers of drugs, so that the necessary action
can be taken at the source. A rapid and thorough investigation begun early could well save a few
more youngsters from a dismal drug shrouded future. Schools where staff and pupils are on the
qui vive are not likely to be troubled with this traffic in human misery.
RECUPERATIVE HOLIDAYS
In accordance with the provisions of Section 48 of the Education Act, arrangements were made
for 15 children to have a recuperative holiday free of charge.

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE
The reduction in the number of sessions for treatment has been mainly due to difficulties in
obtaining staff. There is difficulty in attracting dental surgeons into the local authority service, and there
is also a reluctance on the part of trained dental surgery assistants similarly to undertake local authority