Children as young as 12 smoking cannabis outside Telford schools, meeting hears
The meeting of the council's health and wellbeing board also heard school nurses are aware of the issue
Children as young as 12 are smoking cannabis outside Telford schools, a meeting heard.
A councillor told a meeting of the council's health and wellbeing board that his ‘perception’ is that an increasing number of young people are trying the class B drug.
Telford and Wrekin Council’s director of public health confirmed that the issue of cannabis use is being picked up by school nurses and has been raised at recent health meetings.
Councillor Paul Thomas (Conservative, Priorslee) said: “My perception everywhere I go is there is an increasing number of children – and I mean children, probably 12 years of age maybe even younger, vaping.
“That combined with – again this is my perception – supported by the local neighbourhood policing team is that we have an increase in numbers of youngsters smoking cannabis.”
He told the health and wellbeing board on Thursday (Sept 17) that it seems to be “common around the place” and that it is “almost accepted.”
The councillors added that there is a focus on smoking and vaping but “on the other hand the reality is when they get into groups outside of school and they get involved in gangs they start smoking vapes, they start smoking cannabis – that’s my perception.”
Helen Onions, the council’s director of public health said: “We do recognise the problem.
“It is something that we have picked up particularly at some of our health meetings in the last week.
“It is something we’ve seen and experienced ourselves and that we have heard through our school nursing service.”
She added that drug and alcohol work, including the recovery service “do a lot of work in schools, but there is a lot more work to do.”
The committee also told that the council is seeing success its ambition to reach the Government’s smoke free target of 5 per cent or fewer of the population smoking by the end of the decade.
Councillors were told that action is also taking place to raise awareness of the impact of vaping for children and young people.
An official told the meeting that a recent survey shows that 19 per cent of young people had tried vaping.
And the number of young people who class themselves as being a vaper has nearly doubled to six per cent.
Councillors were told that vaping will not be banned but the authority is acting to focus on the issue.
Councillor Kelly Middleton (Labour, Woodside), the council’s cabinet member for public health and unlocking opportunities that she gave up her 30 year history of smoking four and a half years ago.
She had just been elevated to holding the public health portfolio in the cabinet and did not regret it.
She advised people not to start and “it’s never too late to quit.”