Gareth Manning, Freelance Writer

WHILE THE gender gap between drug abusers in the nation's schools is narrowing, another worrying trend has emerged.

The National Council for Drug Abuse (NCDA) reported in the National School Survey 2006 that the age for drug-use initiation is falling, with more than 39 per cent of children reporting that they consumed illegal drugs before they were 11 years old. There were also reports, although infrequently, of initiation starting at age five.

Ellen Campbell-Grizzle, director of information and research at the NCDA, pointed out that while initiation is starting at an earlier age, there are no clear reasons for this. She said that the NCDA was currently engaged in qualitative research to look more closely at the issues behind the results.

Infant-school campaigns

"What we took away from the (previous) study in 1997 is that we have to start our prevention education in infant schools," she says.

A curriculum guideline was subsequently developed, but it now needs to be revisited, she said, to make it easier for children to internalise the message.

"We need to have strategies and tactics that reinforce more at that level. And that is what we are working out now in response to the 2006 data," she said.

She said the critical age of initiation is at the first-form level (11-12-year-olds) in secondary schools - during the transition stage from primary to secondary. A child is most vulnerable at this point, she surmised, as it was at this age that his or her identity being formed.

"There is a lot of change and transition taking place for young people at that age, and they are being exposed to a lot of new influences ... We now need to look below that age group to target, so that they are prepared to deal with the pressures that they face," said Campbell-Grizzle.