LET’S start with the good news: in the last eight years, fewer and fewer young people have reported being offered drugs, while more and more teenagers say they know where to turn to get the important information they need about them. Just as pleasing is the fact that, according to the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey 2006, the numbers of 15-year-old boys and girls using drugs is also decreasing.

The key to these welcome facts comes down to two simple things: knowledge and communication. Understanding the harm that drugs can cause and being able to talk openly about them with parents can ensure these numbers continue their steady decline. fresh caught up with 12-year-old Brandon McBeath and his dad David to test their knowledge and explore how simple communication has made a big difference in both their lives.

My first experience of drugs

Brandon: I first heard about drugs at school when we had a class about them. No-one at school really talks about them as they don’t fancy them. I found out my uncle used to take them but I never knew till I talked to my dad about it. My uncle looks very ill and he is so unfit, I don’t want to turn out like him.

David: I was 19 when I first came into contact with drugs, which I know is quite old. I went back to a party with a crowd of guys I played football with and they were all smoking cannabis. A year or two later, when we started hitting clubs, I came across lots of other drugs like ecstasy, speed, charlie – they were rife.

My knowledge of drugs

Brandon: The worst drugs are heroin and cocaine because when you use them for a short time you get chest pains, you get depressed and very tired. And you get lung damage and breathing problems. I also know how long you can go to jail for: seven years for having a Class A drug and for dealing it you could get life.

David: When I was growing up, my dad would say: “drugs are bad, don’t take them”, but I didn’t know much else. I think I’d seen a film with someone injecting themselves so I always associated drugs with that. I didn’t even know there were other ways you could take them – 90% of my learning has come from the Know the Score Parent Guide. There are so many different drugs and ways people take them. Brandon had seen a lot of what is in the book already so he knows much more about the consequences than I did.

My fears about drugs

David: You don’t have to be on drugs for 10 years before you are going to get affected by something. Straight away, Brandon could take his first bit of speed, first cannabis joint, first ecstasy tablet and could be damaged for life or even killed. That’s my first fear. My second is that he takes them and nothing happens to him, then he keeps on taking them because of the high. To find out my son is stuck wasting his money on stuff I know will not make him any happier is a horrible thought.

Brandon: I really don’t fear drugs, I don’t think I ever need them or want to take them. I just don’t know why other people would want to take them because it just makes you happy for that wee while, then it makes you more depressed and it damages you.

My conversations about drugs

Brandon: I felt OK talking about them with my dad. I asked him because I had seen my uncle with something but didn’t know what. I asked my dad and he told me, then we read the information book together. It has helped me understand that drugs hurt you more than they help you. Nobody has ever offered me drugs so I don’t know how I’d cope but I know I’d feel a bit sick knowing what they can do to you.

David: I didn’t even go there with my mum; if I’d asked she’d have taken it to mean I was taking them. But the problem with that is if someone tells you: “take this drug and you’ll get a high”, without the knowledge you might think it’s a great gamble. It was such a relief to talk about it with Brandon. Now, when we are watching TV, he is so disgusted whenever drugs appear. I couldn’t be any more pleased or proud as I really believe he has the knowledge I never had.

My message about drugs

David: People take drugs because they don’t really know what they will do to them. If you know you’ll get a high then feel awful for days or maybe even die, would you still want to take it?

Brandon: I would tell anyone thinking about taking any about all the effects. And talk to your parents, it’s worth it.

For information and advice on drugs for young people and their parents, call Know the Score’s free, confidential 24-hour helpline on 0800 587 587 9 or visit www.knowthescore.info

fresh facts

l Cannabis comes as a solid lump (resin), stalks and leaves (grass) or a sticky dark oil. Users may feel relaxed and more aware of sounds and colours, but it can lead to paranoia and breathing problems.

l Cocaine is also known as charlie, coke or snow. The white powder acts quickly and lasts for about half an hour, making people feel confident and alert. Crack is a stronger version of cocaine. Both lead to tension and anxiety, and if used frequently could bring on a heart attack or stroke.

l Amphetamines are also known as speed or whizz and usually come in a white powder.

l Highly addictive heroin is a Class A drug. It slows the brain, heart rate and breathing. Overdose is a serious risk, leading to coma or death, while injecting can damage veins and sharing needles could lead to HIV.

l Ecstasy is also a Class A drug, and users could face up to seven years in jail for possession. Taking the tablets can lead to dehydration and users feel tired and depressed afterwards. Long-term, it can lead to brain damage.

l Magic mushrooms provoke a trip similar to LSD. Users run the risk of stomach pains or poisoning if they pick the wrong mushroom.

DRUGS ABS: HOW DO YOU SCORE?

1. Which of the following drugs falls into the hallucinogen category?

A – Paracetamol

B – Enchanted Edam

C – Magic mushrooms

2. Which of these is a Class A drug?

A – Echinacea

B – Vitamin E

C – Heroin

3. By what other name is amphetamine commonly known by?

A – Fast

B – Douglas

C – Speed

4. Which group of drugs does cocaine belong to?

A – Vegetables

B – Minerals

C – Stimulants

5. What class of drug is ecstasy in?

A – Science

B – X

C – A

6. Which household item is a common name for cannabis?

A – Pillow

B – Cupboard

C – Soap bar

7. The hallucinogen LSD is also commonly known as:

A – Alkaline

B – Apples

C – Acid

8. What colour is cocaine?

A – Green

B – Brown

C – White

If you answered mostly A or B: Your knowledge about drugs is limited, but Know the Score can help you find out more. Call their free helpline (above) to speak to trained advisers in confidence or visit the Know the Score website. A guide, titled What Every Parent Should Know, is available through the helpline.

If you answered mostly C:

You have a good basic knowledge, but for more help and advice on speaking to your children about drugs call the Know the Score helpline on 0800 587 587 9 and speak to trained advisers or visit the website at
www.knowthescore.info