School drugs crackdown

Photo / Brett Phibbs

Schools are cracking down on Kronic and other forms of synthetic cannabis, amid fears that they are the drug of choice for students who are trying to get past drink-drive checkpoints.

Secondary Principals' Association president Patrick Walsh said legal highs were becoming the preferred drug for school students, "particularly for those who drive".

"They know alcohol or marijuana can be detected but Kronic can't be," he said.

Palmerston North Boys' High removed three students with drugs from its boarding facilities last week and the school's rector, Tim O'Connor, said legalised party drugs would be added to the school's list of prohibited substances. One student was caught with the legal high Rasta's Ganja, while two others had marijuana.

A Wellington teenager has also been suspended from school for dealing the legal substances to fellow students. Hutt Valley High School principal Ross Sinclair confirmed a 14-year-old was suspended for two dealing incidents last month.

Takapuna Grammar has banned legal highs and so has Macleans College.

O'Connor said the Manawatu boys were devastated and counselling was made available to them. The school had employed a drug detection agency to carry out inspections three times so far this year and the rector promised "there will be more".

He said teenagers were getting mixed messages about what society viewed as acceptable and described legalised drugs as "a new low for the country".

Walsh said anecdotal information from principals and parents indicated the problem was growing.

"Increasing numbers of students are showing signs of drowsiness, vomiting and an inability to concentrate. When they're sent to the sick-bay and parents are called, Kronic is found to be involved."

Students sometimes admitted to smoking up to three joints in one hour.

"It's getting worse and the more it's discussed in the media, the more it triggers an interest."

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said last week that laws restricting the sale of synthetic cannabis products would be passed in weeks. It will still be legal to sell it, but not from liquor stores and petrol stations.