Five-to seven-year-olds are to be given a specially developed board game explaining the dangers of drugs, and the initiative may be extended to nursery children. The game, which is similar to snakes and ladders, has been developed by Scotland Against Drugs (SAD), the country's main Government-funded agency. The free game, which will be distributed by schools, is designed for children to play at home with parents and carers.
Alistair Ramsay, SAD director, said, 'The prototype is ready to go to the printers now and then we will pilot it in primary schools around Scotland.
'Once we have received feedback we will look at the age of children, but initially it is aimed at five-to seven-year-olds. The game has two aims: first, to get parents and children to collaborate over discussions on drugs; then to help young children learn that they should never take medicines that are not prescribed for them, and to never take things given by a stranger. It is all about good health and safety, and there is no mention of heroin or cocaine. We thought there was a need for a resource that gives children the opportunity to look at drugs and how they can affect them.'
The board game is one of a number of anti-drug initiatives being developed over the next 14 months, following an announcement last week of a 4.5m boost for SAD from the Scottish Executive. A scheme to supply all children in Scotland aged seven and above with their own drug information pack is also being developed.
The agency's schools programme aims to introduce SAD's drug-free zone learning package in 30 per cent of Scottish education establishments by 2004. The programme will support the development of materials for every pupil in Scottish schools. It will also train 500 education staff every year, so that every educational facility has a head teacher and another teacher who are trained to provide pupils with an up-to-date drugs education.
The initiative follows a string of incidents involving children and drugs. In 1999, a one-year-old boy nearly swallowed a bag of cocaine after it was thrown into a nursery playground by a drug dealer. It is estimated that more than 20,000 children in Scotland live with drug-addicted parents.