Teach pupils safe drug use – union

Some children are now so steeped in drug culture that they should be taught how to take drugs safely rather than instructed to "just say no", the Professional Association of Teachers decided yesterday.

Successful "risk-reduction" strategies employed in schools have included getting outside experts to talk to pupils about where to take drugs safely and how to tell if someone has taken an overdose, rather than talking only about prevention, argued Jane Lovey, a retired teacher who has researched drug use for the charity Drugscope.

"Every secondary school class will probably contain some students who are regular users or dealers of drugs as well as children who know little or nothing of drug culture," she said. "In this climate, a 'one-size-fits-all' drugs education programme fails the most vulnerable children."

Delegates also criticised the Home Secretary, David Blunkett's reclassification of cannabis, saying it sent mixed messages about drug taking. They said there had been more overt cannabis smoking since the law changed. Ms Lovey proposed a motion calling for schools to receive more help from travelling drug experts – she argued that teachers could no longer cope.