Drug Use

Prevent and reduce drug related harm

• prevention through education and creating respectful and safe schools
• early intervention to prevent later harmful drug use.

Drug related incident response

• ensuring the response is well managed
• student wellbeing is paramount
• utilising partnerships with parents/caregivers and police(when necessary)
• ensuring the response does not cause any secondary harm, such as social stigmatisation, reduced self-worth and associated truancy.

• focus on the safety and welfare of those directly and indirectly involved
• stay calm
• gather any:
  • facts
  • relevant information
• make a first aid assessment (if necessary seek medical support)
• seek assistance as soon as possible
• safely collect any suspected drugs and drug paraphernalia
• inform the school administration
• Isolate the situation from other students, if possible.

• inform parents/guardians of students involved in incident
• notify health, community and welfare services, if appropriate
• contact the police, if required
• establish a case management team to:
  • gather and verify information
  • allocate tasks and roles
  • document information
  • develop a communication strategy
  • consider interventions
  • consider sanctions in line with student engagement policies
  • monitor, evaluate and reflect.

Confidentiality: detoxification and pharmacotherapy treatment

Information about detoxification, methadone or alternate pharmacotherapies:

• is a private matter
• only needs to be shared between students and their:
  • parent/guardian
  • supporting community agency
  • school designated student wellbeing staff.
• may be provided, at the principal’s discretion, only:
  • with the student’s consent
  • to staff who have direct responsibility for the student.

Example: If the student’s concentration or alertness may be affected by prescribed medication. Important: Students should not be excluded from attendance based on their ongoing detoxification.

The department does not support any form of drug testing in schools for teachers or students to avoid:

• raising a lack of trust between schools and students
• legal, technical, ethical and financial issues.

Teachers have a duty of care to pass on information to the principal if they have knowledge about illicit drug use by students or members of a student’s family irrespective of:

• whether the use:
  • is confirmed, suspected or likely to occur
  • occurs on or outside school grounds
• the drug used.

Note: Under this duty of care staff cannot promise unconditional confidentiality to students.

Any student who is absent from school due to drug use or the resultant treatment should be provided with a Student Absence Learning Plan as determined by teachers in consultation with:

• parents/guardians
• the school’s appointed case manager

Schools should have procedures in place for dealing with the media.  Principals are responsible for media contact, supported by:

• the regional director
• Department Media Unit (03) 8688 7776.

Principals should notify parents/guardians as soon as practicable.  Note:   Teachers and principals do not breach criminal law by failure to notify parents/guardians of the use of an illicit drug, but there are civil implications.

• advise the local police contact person (station commander or sub-officer nominee) when they have knowledge of an alleged criminal offence, including the possession, use and distribution of illicit drugs
• document internal procedures and actions undertaken.

Staff should be:

• informed of policies and procedures
• provided with professional development in responding to drug related incidents.