as tensions reach boiling point in the middle east, and anthrax fever grips the imaginations of many in the west, retired us solider RED THOMAS provides a little sanity with a bio-terrorism survival checklist:

48, INVESTIGATE November 2001 TERROR SURVIVAL

germs, gas, nukes: tips that could save your life (and ease your mind)

ince the media have decided how terrible this stuff is to keep the don’t destroy anything. When you to scare everyone with pre- recruits awake in class (I know this leave the area you almost always Sdictions of chemical, bio- because I was a Drill Sergeant too). leave the risk. logical, or nuclear warfare Forget everything you’ve ever seen That’s the difference; you can on our turf I decided to write a paper on TV, in the movies, or read in a novel leave the area and the risk. Soldiers and keep things in their proper per- about this stuff, it was all a lie (Read may have to stay put and sit through spective. I am a retired military weap- this sentence again out loud!). it and that’s why they need all that ons, munitions, and training expert. These weapons are about terror, spiffy gear. Lesson number one: In the mid if you remain calm, you will prob- These are not gasses; they are va- 1990s there was a series of nerve ably not die. This is far less scary pors and/or airborne particles. Any gas attacks on crowded Japanese than the media and their “experts” such agent must be delivered in suf- subway stations. Given perfect con- make it sound. ficient quantity to kill or injure, and ditions for an attack, less than 10% that defines when and how it’s used. of the people there were injured (the chemical weapons Every day we have a morning injured were better in a few hours) CHEMICAL WEAPONS ARE categorized and evening atmospheric inversion and only one percent of the injured as Nerve, Blood, Blister, and Inca- where “stuff,” suspended in the air died. pacitating agents. Contrary to the gets pushed down. This inversion CBS-Television’s 60 Minutes once hype of reporters and politicians, is why allergies (pollen) and air pol- had a fellow telling us that one drop they are not weapons of mass de- lution are worst at these times of of nerve gas could kill a thousand struction. They are means of “Area the day. people. He didn’t tell you the thou- Denial,” effective to keep an enemy So, a chemical attack will have its sand dead people per drop was theo- out of a particular zone for a limited best effect an hour of so either side retical. Drill Sergeants exaggerate period of time: terror weapons that of sunrise or sunset. Also, being va-

PHOTO: Shayne Kavanagh

INVESTIGATE November 2001, 49 avanagh know about this stuff, the more you realize how hard it is to use. nerve gas

WE’LL START BY talking about nerve agents. You have these in your house: plain old bug killer (like Raid) is nerve agent. All nerve agents work the same way; they are cholinesterase inhibitors that mess up the signals your nervous system uses to make your body function. It can harm you if you get it on your skin but it works best if you to inhale it. If you don’t die in the first minute and you can leave the area, you’re probably go- ing to live. The military’s antidotes for all nerve agents are atropine and pralidoxime chloride. Neither one of these does anything to cure the nerve agent. They send your body into overdrive to keep you alive for five minutes. After that the agent is used up. Your best protection is fresh air and staying calm. Listed below are the symptoms for nerve agent poi- soning. Sudden headache, Dimness of vi- sion (someone you’re looking at will have pinpointed pupils), Runny nose, Excessive saliva or drooling, Diffi- culty breathing, Tightness in chest, Nausea, Stomach cramps, Twitch- ing of exposed skin where a liquid just got on you. If you are in public and you start experiencing these symptoms, first ask yourself, did anything out of the ordinary just happen, a loud pop, did someone spray something on the crowd? Are other people getting sick pors and airborne particles, the centration of chemicals high enough too? Is there an odor of new mown agents are heavier than air, so they to kill or injure you: too little and it’s hay, green corn, something fruity, or will seek low places like ditches, nothing, too much and it’s wasted. camphor where it shouldn’t be? basements and underground garages. What I hope you’ve gathered by this If the answer is yes, then calmly This stuff won’t work when it’s point is that a chemical weapons at- (if you panic you breathe faster and freezing, it doesn’t last when it’s hot, tack that kills a lot of people is in- inhale more air/poison) leave the area and wind spreads it too thin too fast. credibly hard to achieve with mili- and head upwind, or outside. Fresh Attackers have to get this stuff on tary grade agents and equipment. So air is the best “right now antidote.” you, or, get you to inhale it, for it to you can imagine how hard it would If you have a blob of liquid that looks work. They also have to get the con- be for terrorists. The more you like molasses or Karo syrup on you;

50, INVESTIGATE November 2001 blot it or scrape it off and away from Bottom line on chemical weapons yourself with anything disposable. (and it’s the same if they use indus- This stuff works based on your trial chemical spills): They are in- body weight: What a crop duster tended to make you panic, to terror- uses to kill bugs won’t hurt you un- ize you, to herd you like sheep to the less you stand there and breathe it in wolves. If there is an attack, leave real deep, then lick the residue off the area and go upwind, or to the the ground for while. sides of the wind stream. You’re Remember, the attackers have to more likely to be hurt by a drunk do all the work, they have to get the driver on any given day than be hurt concentration up and keep it up for by one of these attacks. Your odds several minutes, while all you have get better if you leave the area. Soap, to do is quit getting it on you and water, time, and fresh air really deal quit breathing it by putting space this stuff a knock-out-punch. Don’t between yourself and the attack. let fear of an isolated attack rule your life. The odds are really on your side. bad blood & blisters

BLOOD AGENTS ARE cyanide or ars- nuclear bombs device for a good distance. It’s im- ine. They affect your blood’s ability NUCLEAR BOMBS: THESE are the only possible to say what and how far, to provide oxygen to your tissues. weapons of mass destruction on but probably not over a couple of The scenario for attack would be the Earth. The effects of a nuclear bomb miles from ground zero is a good same as nerve agent. Look for a pop are heat, blast, EMP, and radiation. guess. Cars, cell phones, comput- or someone splashing or spraying If you see a bright flash of light like ers, ATMs, you name it, all will be something and folks around there the sun, where the sun isn’t, fall to out of order. There are lots of kinds getting woozy or falling down. The the ground! The heat will be over in of radiation, but , physically, you telltale smells are bitter almonds or a second. Then there will be two only need to worry about three: al- garlic where it shouldn’t be. The blast waves, one out going, and one pha, beta, and gamma. The others symptoms are blue lips, blue under on its way back. Don’t stand up to you have lived with for years. the fingernails rapid breathing. see what happened after the first You need to worry about “Ioniz- The military’s antidote is amyl ni- wave. Wait. Everything that’s going ing radiation,” little sub atomic par- tride and, just like nerve agent anti- to happen will have happened in two ticles that go whizzing along at the dote, it just keeps your body work- full minutes. speed of light. They hit individual ing for five minutes till the toxins are Any nuclear weapons used by ter- cells in your body, kill the nucleus used up. Fresh air is the your best rorists will be low yield devices and and keep on going. That’s how you individual chance. will not level whole cities. If you live get radiation poisoning: You have so Blister agents (distilled mustard) through the heat, blast, and initial many dead cells in your body that are so nasty that nobody wants to burst of radiation, you’ll probably live the decaying cells poison you. It’s even handle them, let alone use them. for a very very long time. the same as people getting radiation Blister agents are just as likely to harm Radiation will not create fifty foot treatments for cancer, only a bigger the user as the target. They’re al- tall women, or giant ants and grass area gets irradiated. most impossible to handle safely and hoppers the size of tanks. These will The good news is you don’t have may have delayed effects of up to be at the most 1 kiloton bombs; that’s to just sit there and take it, and there 12 hours. The attack scenario is also the equivalent of 1,000 tons of TNT. are lots you can do rather than panic. limited to the things you’d see from Here’s the real hazard: Flying de- First, your skin will stop alpha par- other chemicals. If you do get large, bris and radiation will kill a lot of ticles, a page of a news paper or your painful blisters for no apparent rea- exposed (not all)! people within a clothing will stop beta particles. Then son, don’t pop them. If you must, half mile of the blast. Under perfect you just have to try and avoid inhaling don’t let the liquid from the blister conditions this is about a half mile dust that’s contaminated with atoms get on any other area: the stuff just circle of death and destruction, but that are emitting these things and you’ll keeps on spreading. Soap, water, when it’s done it’s done. be generally safe from them. sunshine, and fresh air are this EMP stands for Electro Magnetic Gamma rays are particles that stuff’s enemy. Pulse and it will fry every electronic travel like rays (quantum physics

52, INVESTIGATE November 2001 makes my brain hurt) and they create the same damage LOOK as alpha and beta particles only they keep going and kill lots of cells as they go all the way through your body. It could you save your family in a fire this summer? takes a lot to stop these things, lots of dense material. On the other hand it takes a lot of this to kill you. Your defense is as always to not panic. Basic hygiene and normal preparation are your friends. All canned or frozen food is safe to eat. The radiation poisoning will not affect plants, so fruits and vegetables are OK if there’s no dust on them (Rinse them off if there is). If you don’t have running water and you need to collect rain water or use water from wherever, just let it sit for thirty minutes and skim off the water gently from the top. The dust with the bad stuff in it will settle and the remaining water can be used for the toilet which will still work if you have a bucket of water to pour in the tank. biological warfare agents

FINALLY THERE’S BIOLOGICAL warfare. There’s not much to cover here. Basic personal hygiene and sanitation will take you further than a million doctors. Wash your hands often, don’t share drinks, food, sloppy kisses, etc., ... with strangers. Keep your garbage can with a tight lid on it, don’t have standing water (like old buckets, ditches, or kiddy pools) laying around to allow mosquitoes breeding room. How many parents lose children This stuff is carried by vectors, that is bugs, rodents, in fires, unable to see them and contaminated material. If biological warfare is as easy in the smoke? as the TV makes it sound, why has Saddam Hussein spent twenty years, millions, and millions of dollars try- ing to get it right? If you’re clean of person and home, eat well and are active, you’re going to live. Overall preparation for any terrorist attack is the same as you’d take for a big storm. If you want a gas mask, fine, go get one. I know this stuff and I’m not getting one and I told my Mom not to bother with one either (How’s that for confidence?). We have a week’s worth of cash, several days worth of canned goods and plenty of soap and water. We don’t leave stuff out to attract EVAC-U8 cannisters give your face protection from bugs or rodents so we don’t have them. flame, smoke and poisonous gas These terrorist people can’t conceive of a nation this big with as much resources as it has. These weapons are made to cause panic, terror, and to demoralize. If we don’t run around like sheep, they won’t use this stuff after they find out it’s no fun and does them little good. The government is going nuts over this stuff because they have to protect every inch of America. You only have to protect yourself, and by doing that, you help the country. Finally, there are millions of caveats to everything I wrote here and you can think up specific scenarios in Disasters don’t give second chances. which my advice wouldn’t be the best. However, this is how we the people of the United States can rob these Order today for just $230 delivered people of their most desired goal, your terror. to your door, or six easy payments of $39 Freephone 0800 38 22 88 or www.thesafetycompany.co.nzINVESTIGATE November 2001, 53 As investigators probe the al-Qa’ida network, more docu- ments are emerging on the organisation’s aims and meth- ods. These pages, orginally in Arabic, were found at the home of an alleged al-Qa’ida suspect

54, INVESTIGATE November 2001 INVESTIGATE November 2001, 55 56, INVESTIGATE November 2001 INVESTIGATE November 2001, 57 58, INVESTIGATE November 2001 INVESTIGATE November 2001, 59 WASTED YOUTH

fast times and very high, what’s going wrong in our schools?

t would have been hard for any dance with the principles of natural ful. Matheson denies claims that the one to miss those dramatic TV justice. Are we being realistic in Ministry of Education is not doing Iimages of thousands of teenag- expecting all of the above? Some enough to help students and schools ers congregating on Auckland’s schools think yes; but others laugh during the high drug-offence season Quay St a couple of weeks back, determinedly right into your face. and referred us to the Minister him- pouring diesel on the road, smashing The issue of drugs being part of self, Trevor Mallard. Mallard was police cars and drag racing each other. New Zealand schools is becoming unavailable for comment. To many, it is a sign of the wors- of particular concern to parents and Jim Matheson did add however, ening state of our education system schools alike. Even our most senior that he feels last year’s introduction - wasted youth on the rampage. Or and most respected education gurus of the Physical Education & Health is it a reaction to the frustrations are unsure how to remedy the drug Curriculum has further equipped teenagers are facing in a society that epidemic in our schools. New Zealand schools with advice seems increasingly unable to handle and guidance in teaching young them? restorative justice people about “healthy living, alcohol, When we sign our kids over to a JIM MATHESON, OPERATIONAL Policy eating habits, and sexual health” is- state-school we hope dearly for our Manager for our learning watchdog sues. For what reasons do the Min- children’s best. We expect they will the Ministry of Education agrees and istry of Education understand the high learn new skills and grow up to be admits, “there is a growing propor- rate of drug suspensions to be re- mature and well adjusted individu- tion of drug related suspensions and lated to? - A spokesman for the de- als. We hope their personalities will exclusions”. He conveys the will- partment told Investigate that they flourish and that they will learn right ingness of the bureaucratic body to “had no idea” and the issue was too from wrong. We, perhaps naively, remedy this growing problem but is complex to pinpoint. anticipate that the school we enrol unable to pinpoint and support with The outspoken and firm type of our children at will nurture their best statistics any forms of remedy, parent often forms an opinion that interests and treat them in accor- which have proven to be success- their child’s school should be involv-

60, INVESTIGATE November 2001 PHOTOS: Jonathan Marshall

JONATHAN MARSHALL investigates the teen drug issue

ing them and working closely with in schools who have a genuine con- students involved in drug-related in- cern for students and wish to put to cidents to teach them that drug use use more modern methods of cor- and association will not be tolerated rection. The principle is drawn from and give them practical and mean- our criminal justice system, where ingful advice on why this is- instead criminal offenders are given restor- To many, it is a sign of of just showing zero tolerance and ative justice as a second go at life. removing a student from their learn- the worsening“ state of ing zone and social climate. Jim zero tolerance our education system - Matheson agrees, but says that IN JULY THIS YEAR, 400 delegates of wasted youth on the schools generally “make enormous the New Zealand School Trustees efforts to look after young people”, Association met in Invercargill. In rampage. Or is it a reac- pointing to the success of the phe- negative of surprise, one of the is- tion to the frustrations nomenon “restorative justice”. He sues facing schools that was at the teenagers are facing in describes restorative justice as an al- top of the agenda was school sus- ternative for instantly suspending or pensions. Wayne Buckland- princi- a society that seems excluding a student from school pal of Bream Bay College spoke in increasingly unable to when they commit an offence that detail about ‘restorative justice’. handle them? is of gross misconduct or relates to Buckland is a principal who feels continual disobedience. the alternative approach to standard Matheson says restorative justice zero-tolerance discipline is “show- is about “working very hard to solve ing a reduction in re-offending”. problems through communication”. Buckland addressed the issue confi- He believes such an approach is be- dently remarking “most schools have ” coming increasingly more practiced a punitive approach to discipline, this

INVESTIGATE November 2001, 61 often results in repeat offending as the ond chances where they are due,” reasons behind the problem aren’t ad- says Matheson. dressed”. Wayne Buckland urged trust- Doctor Sally Merry, Senior lec- ees attending to try the method and said turer of Child and Adolescent Psy- they should know that there is an al- chiatry at the Auckland University ternative to suspension that works in said, “schools suspend students 80 percent of cases. If they want to when they are unable to competently reduce their suspensions very quickly set boundaries”. and at the same time reduce Earlier this year the Ministry of reoffenders, it is a great way to ad- Education allocated close to $2 mil- dress that”. A spokesperson for lion dollars for the “Suspension Re- Marinoto Clinic said suspension and ex- duction Initiative”. Rosalie Phillips clusion “doesn’t get to the root of the from the M.O.E says the initiative problems or address specific issues”. operates by “our local and regional It is commonly agreed that there offices work with schools to de- is a current problem with drugs in velop systems that reduce suspen- all schools. According to a sixth form sions”. Only schools that have high student enrolled at Long Bay College suspension rates are part of the pro- “there are drugs in all schools and it gram; and “during just one school is unfair to label one school as a term, a cluster of schools involved druggie school”. The Ministry of in the program have had a signifi- Education, agrees: “all schools have cant reduction in suspensions”. to consider drug prevention”. Rosalie Phillips admits that restor- So when is it right for a school to ative justice might be one of the rea- decide that a student who has been sons why the initiative appears to be involved in a drug incident should be working. suspended or even excluded? - the Education solicitor Richard Ministry’s Jim Matheson says an ex- Harrison specialises in representing clusion would occur when “the re- school boards throughout the coun- lationship between a student and try, and believes, “principals usually school becomes irreparable”. go the extra distance for students What happens when the relation- and generally want to keep kids in ship has not been severely affected school”. Wellington-based barrister and although drugs have been in- Dr Raoul Provosky disagrees and volved, there exists likelihood that outlines, “school boards are often there could emerge learning experi- seen not to be open minded when ences for both the school and stu- dealing with drug use in schools and dent alike from the unfortunate drug following the principles of natural incident? justice is a difficulty for some”. Perhaps, the use of ‘restorative Newly elected Auckland Mayor justice’ could be made or a compre- John Banks says he “spent the best hensive drug education program pro- five years of my life in the fifth vided; or a series of community ser- form”. Banks believes drug educa- vice sessions to show the offending tion should begin “at the kitchen perpetrator that they have done table” and when adolescents are wrong. Surely, if there is not a real caught red-handed with any form of situation that seriously endangers the drug there needs to be “zero toler- safety of other students or that the ance” displayed. The former politi- student has expressed genuine re- cian and highly controversial radio morse for their actions there is com- host strongly believes we need to passionate consideration given? start “supporting school boards and “Usually, most schools give sec- principals in their pursuit for those

62, INVESTIGATE November 2001 responsible” and start “to be vigilant in the infiltration of drugs at schools at all levels”. Investigate spoke with a distraught family, who up until July 2001 had their son enrolled at Auckland’s Rangitoto College. A decile ten [most affluent type] secondary school that states publicly and proudly that their school is “one of New Zealand’s leading secondary schools”. Rangitoto College produced the infamous radio deejay and television presenter Mikey Havoc, and also too former Shortland Street actor and now stand-up comedian Oliver Driver. With good publicity comes the more unwelcome type: and Rangitoto College receives its dues from local and national media when it comes to drug abuse and its students. The New Zealand Herald has published headlines such as “Rangitoto Pupils Suspended for Alleged Drug Use”; and “Song and Dance over After-Ball Party Guidelines”; and “Fourth Formers in Revolt”; when referring to Rangitoto College and drugs/alcohol. the natural justice issue THE RANGITOTO PARENT whose son was suspended main- tains that “although there is a drug problem at Rangitoto College and a hard stance needs to be taken, my child was unfairly suspended and excluded from Rangitoto College”. According to the official file the family’s four- teen-year-old child was involved in a group of students who partook in smoking a minute amount of the increas- ingly socially accepted wacky-backy drug during an early July 2001 morning. The smoking of the cannabis took place outside of school grounds, was not during school hours, and the accused experimenter was not in Rangitoto College uniform [which all-attending students are required to attend in]. The family also claims that their child was not even going to school on the day of the alleged incident. Taking into consideration these circumstances Rangitoto College found the child’s actions to be of ‘Gross Mis- conduct’. Not just ‘Misconduct’ but ‘Gross Misconduct’. The High Court proclaimed last century that ‘Gross Mis- conduct’ was behaviour which is “striking and repre- hensible to a high degree as to warrant removal”. The family involved “are at a loss to understand why the stu- dent has been expelled”. The student has a perfect disciplinary record at the North Shore college and has never had dealings with the college’s principal Alan Peachey or other senior manage- ment staff of the college. The school board told the child he was not allowed to set foot on the school grounds and not to attend the school his family had wait-listed him for way back in 1994. The unnamed teen also views the college’s decision as unfair and unjustified. According to the family, at the time their child was interrogated by senior management

INVESTIGATE November 2001, 63 of the school about the incident, the student requested gal advice from Rodney Harrison QC. several times that “I want my parents or a lawyer here In 1990 the Ombudsman reviewed a decision made by while I answer your questions”. He told Investigate that Palmerston North Boys’ High School to expel a student he watched the interviewers pretend to call his father. involved in a marijuana incident. The Ombudsman con- He [the student] told the school he was not happy to cluded that “the standards required by the statute and as answer their questions without fair representation. None- interpreted by the High Court for ‘Gross Misconduct’ theless, the school allegedly pressed ahead. During the had not been met. Consequently, Palmerston North Boys’ two hour intensive interrogation process the school fi- High School agreed to re-enrol the student. The father nally got an admission from the 14 year-old that he had of Rangitoto College’s former drug suspect hopes that smoked a minute amount of the illegal drug marijuana in “Rangitoto College will take note of the Ombudsman’s his own time. opinion if he does make one”. The family hired lawfirm Chapman Tripp, whose so- The Education Review Office confirms that they will licitor Laurene Holley made submissions to the school be paying close attention to matters arising in complaints board indicating that she challenges the validity of rely- from parents about Rangitoto College in their next re- ing on a confession made by [the child] in circumstances view. Reviewer Charlene Scotti wrote in her 1998 report where he had requested his parent or lawyers to be present of the college: “The board and staff are committed to and such request was not met. Holley further says any providing a safe college for students”. information provided during the interview was obtained in breach of his right to representation and therefore con- role model no dope trary to the rules of natural justice and Bill of Rights re- RANGITOTO COLLEGE HEAD-GIRL Monica De Alwis told quirements. Chapman Tripp New Zealand also believed Investigate that the most common type of drug used at that the Board in reaching its decision could not take the Rangitoto College is “weed” or marijuana. De Alwis be- confession into account. After the student’s suspension lieves that when a student is expelled/excluded “they leave was considered at a Rangitoto College Disciplinary hear- with nothing and the situation for them and drugs could ing, Rangitoto College decided to exclude him from Rangitoto get worse”. The well-spoken and articulately opinion- College. This meant he needed to find another school to ated head-girl said she would alert school management commence his learning. The family were emotionally torn on occasions when she saw students using drugs and to “think that the school believed they had the legal right to says she would never do drugs at school because “I am punish our child for something he did out of school”. looked upon as a role model”. Totally unsatisfied about the board’s decision to ex- Monica De Alwis admits drugs are used at Rangitoto clude their son from Rangitoto College, and also too from College but also explained that students are educated on his teachers and friends they persuaded the reluctant board drugs and drug abuse. The school leader said firmly that to reconsider its decision. Investigate was present at the she believes it is vitally important that schools stop kicking board meeting at which the appeal hearing took place. out students involved in drug incidents and “work on a per- School principal Alan Peachey said at the meeting “the sonal and individual basis with them [offending students]”. problem is that we have many houses on the boundaries Commenting on the decision to seek a legal opinion of this school [Rangitoto College] selling marijuana”. The from Dr Rodney Harrison QC, on matters relating to board spoke privately in committee for 25 minutes and school discipline, principal Alan Peachey told his school concluded, “the Rangitoto College Board of Trustees, after board “we have the best legal adviser that is available”. careful consideration have refused to re-enrol [the stu- Dr Harrison refused to comment on his involvement with dent]”. The family felt that spending the money neces- the college and explained he does not specialise in education sary for a High Court judicial review was “inappropriate” law. A spokesman at Dr Harrison’s chambers said “most but did recently file a 17-page complaint with the Ombuds- Queen’s Counsels cost between $400 and $450 per hour”. man. A spokesman for the Ombudsmen’s Office, Richard Ironically, Dr Harrison is the same QC who managed Fisher told Investigate “schools are one of the organisations to persuade a High Court judge to have a young person we have jurisdiction over- we do not act as an advocate reinstated at Northcote College after smoking marijuana. though. We will look into both sides of the matter [and] if Northcote College principal Ted Benton was unavailable we think the Rangitoto College Board of Trustees acted for comment but the New Zealand Herald reported the unreasonably we would report that opinion to them”. day after the High Court ruling that Benton had described As we went to print the Ombudsman had recommended the ruling “as a sad day for New Zealand”. New Zealand that Rangitoto College review the case internally. Herald journalist Tony Wall wrote “The college is unre- Rangitoto College is understood to be seeking further le- pentant, insisting it had the jurisdiction to expel the first-

64, INVESTIGATE November 2001 extensive nor are the possible rem- edies always exhausted. The Youth Law Project, positioned discreetly amongst a block of high rise buildings in Auckland’s C.B.D noted in a report on school suspen- sions that a common problem with the Education Act being followed legally is that “some schools have an inflexible discipline policy where the punishment of suspension or exclu- sion automatically follows the com- mission of an offence”. Most of the schools who have close ties with Rangitoto College did not feel at close comfort discussing their competitor; but Glenfield Col- lege principal Warren Seastrand was more than happy to admit that like all schools in New Zealand there are drugs at his college- and where there are drugs there is formal discipline. Seastrand says when considering the suspension option he looks for “hard evidence” and truly believes a stu- dent is “innocent until proven guilty”. Only once in 14 years has Glenfield College taken the drastic measure of suspending a student for smoking cigarettes, but Seastrand clarified that each year he suspends an aver- age of 12 students, 4 of those are then excluded or expelled by the school board. The college principal who admits that due to his sheltered life he has “never seen anyone light up a joint” firmly dismisses sugges- tions to legalise or decriminalise mari- juana in New Zealand. Glenfield College “takes a hard line time offender despite the incident hap- circumstances surrounding each on drugs” according to Warren pening outside school hours and while case and incident. Furthermore, clar- Seastrand who explained the hard- the boy was only partially clad in ity is provided in respect to the ‘one est part about suspending a student school uniform”. size fits all’ policy- schools cannot is “weighing up the welfare of an The parents fighting Northcote automatically serve the same punish- individual student against the welfare College have had their name sup- ment to any student who is involved of the wider school community”. pressed and received legal aid to fight in drugs, they need to consider the Seastrand admits that if a student is the state school. circumstances surrounding each caught smoking marijuana out of The Education Act states that case. For some New Zealand school times “it is not our problem, schools must consider the merits of schools this Mulder & Scully ap- but I would write to the parents con- each individual case before suspend- proach is rather difficult to adhere cerned”. If a student is caught smok- ing a child and review carefully the to, and investigations are not always ing marijuana in school uniform then

INVESTIGATE November 2001, 65 Seastrand believes he is in the untested state of “loco- the problems when it comes to drugs in high- schools”. parentis”. A “grey area of common law” chuckles Seastrand. The Waitemata District Health Board operates an Long Bay College was highlighted significantly in the organisation dubbed ‘R.A.D.S’ (Regional, Alcohol, and media earlier this year when students from the college Drug Services) which is a free Auckland-wide service were strip-searched for illegal drugs- College principal for young people attempting to conquer a drug problem. Stephanie Norrie wrote in a statement to Investigate: Spokesman for R.A.D.S, Renee Berry admits “we have “drug abuse can have a disastrous effect on students’ drug use in schools” and “some schools have clearer learning” and that “Long Bay College has made its posi- processes about how they react to drug use than other tion very clear this year”. schools”. R.A.D.S recently released preliminary statis- In the United States, an initiative was setup in 1998 tics indicating 75% of their weekly cliental of 60 young when it was discovered that at Montgomery Blair High people are male gender. Clients of the service are aged School, 11.3% of their students were suspended during on average between 14 and 16 years and discuss their the 1997-98 academic year. Traditionally these suspended use of alcohol, amphetamines, ecstasy, and L.S.D with students were unsupervised and spent their days on sus- the trained staff at R.A.D.S. Ms Berry confirms that pension in unproductive ways. Barred from the class- North Shore schools are required to deal with other drugs room and unable to access their work, they were falling than marijuana which “is of great concern”. So why are further behind in their schoolwork, often exacerbating drugs in our schools and what is the quick-fix option? an already shaky academic and emotional situation. The “There is ultimately no quick fix” according to the solici- SHARP Suspension Programs were introduced and now tor who acts for S.P.A.N.Z (Secondary Principals Asso- offer safe, supervised places for students to serve out ciation of New Zealand) Richard Harrison. Harrison has their suspensions while staying current with their work been practising education law for 8 years and acts for and receiving guidance and emotional support. school principals around the country. He conceded that “There is ultimately no quick fix”

Such initiative as strong and established as the SHARP often schools allow a student back to school on the con- Suspension Program is missing in New Zealand. Miss- dition “they undergo regular urine tests”. ing too, is consistency of suspension outcomes accord- Harrison believes “schools are simply a reflection of ing to prominent Education Solicitor David Fleming. what is happening in society”. Translation: until people Fleming wrote in a recent report “the Education Act does in the wider community stop abusing drugs we won’t not contain a prescriptive definition of what conduct is have the drug epidemic in schools cured. Does this mean sufficient to lead to suspension”. Fleming also reported then, that until schools stop suspending and excluding “combined with the absence of an accessible review au- students unfairly we won’t see a reduction in the rebel- thority, this has lead to enormous inconsistency of outcomes, lious and destructive behaviour of adolescents in the wider with some students being deprived of their right to an edu- community? The Ministry of Education declined an of- cation because of relatively commonplace conduct such as fer to provide statistics on individual schools and how smoking cigarettes, while others are kept within the system many students they are suspending and excluding for despite serious behaviours such as sexual assaults. drug offences. The M.O.E agreed to provide generalised Suspension for drug-use accounts for 31% of the na- statistics that indicate Maori students are vastly over rep- tional school suspension total, but Youth-Aid leader at resented in suspensions. The rate per 1000 students is Takapuna, Sergeant Andrew Lucas said, “we don’t re- 3.6 times higher than that of Pakeha students. Although ally know of a drug problem in schools”. Lucas also Maori students represented only 20% of the school popu- remarked, “we don’t hear of many cases at all really”. lation 40% of stood-down students were Maori. Gra- North Shore city mayor George Wood (and Police of- ham Vincent, general manager of Child Youth and Family ficer for 32 years) proclaimed “I’m not aware of the (C.Y.F.S) in South Auckland links the high rate of Maori harder drugs being a part of North Shore schools – like drug involvement to their low socio-economic status. heroin, speed, and L.S.D.”. Not denying a drug problem Statistics disconcertedly indicate that 23% of stood-down in his city Wood said “schools have a duty to try and help students are aged only 12 years old. In the year 12 July young people rehabilitate- not to kick them out of school”. 1999 to 16 July 2000 there was a total of 4881 suspen- The recently re-elected mayor said, “my council is pretty sions in New Zealand – what are those kids doing now? hands-off. We use people in the community to sort out

66, INVESTIGATE November 2001