The 4-year-old who was resuscitated due to drugs in intensive care surprised everyone: he has 20 euros and can buy as much as he wants

Department of Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control (NTAKD) experts notice that over the past 4 years, students smoking regular cigarettes have decreased, and those using electronic cigarettes have significantly increased. Every tenth student smokes every day, although the number of people trying to smoke regular cigarettes is decreasing, a fifth of students smoke electronic cigarettes.

Some politicians are already promising to initiate amendments to the Education Law, providing for the possibility of testing schoolchildren for drugs. The Minister of Education, Gintautas Jakštas, says that the practice of checking schoolchildren could appear in schools, and if such checks were carried out by the police and not by educators, the rights of students would not be violated.

What do pedagogues, doctors and officials of Šilutė region think about the problem and its solutions?

Currently, both in Lithuania and in Europe, the main source of mafia profits is drugs. According to General Commissioner Renato Požela, the police are currently “vigilantly monitoring” the groups working in this area.

“We count dozens of organized criminal groups, and hundreds of members. We have named them, they are monitored and controlled. But not all persons are available to us, because they are far from Lithuania”, said R. Požėla.

The police admit that many teenagers play “Russian roulette” in order to get drugs quickly and cheaply, because only a few know what substances they are using.

A few weeks ago, the issue of drug trafficking among schoolchildren was in the center of attention, when 15min published an investigation about it – it revealed and made public how easy it is to purchase narcotic substances in Lithuania. And not only for adults, but also for children. And state institutions are said to have no idea about the true extent of the problem.

It is very possible that they really have no idea, because Minister A. Bilotaitė recently said that “Lithuania is a country that is successfully fighting organized crime”. And Police Commissioner General R. Požėla seconded that “the police know and monitor all organized crime groups”.

According to R. Požela, questions about drug trafficking among schoolchildren should not be addressed only to the police. “I have a question about the relationship between parents and children, children’s employment problems. “When a child starts disposing of thousands of euros from somewhere and the parents don’t see it, the questions are not only for the police,” he said.

Of course, you will not argue with this statement, but the fact cannot be denied that while the police are “monitoring”, recently there is hardly a week without at least one or more minors not ending up in intensive care for the same reason.

“It is important that this function is not relegated to the schools themselves, teachers or other staff. If the police do it, that is their function. I believe that they would do it competently, without violating the students’ rights, without causing some kind of scandals,” said G. Jakštas. According to the minister, when it comes to the drug problem in schools, the most important thing is for the students themselves to be resistant, to understand the effects of drugs. An additional lesson, which started this academic year, focuses on both social and emotional intelligence.

Remigijus Rudminas, head of Silutė PK, says that it is still too early to talk about police involvement in school work. According to him, there have been many times that politicians throw out one other idea, which later becomes a discussion, but never develops into something more serious.

“For now, we do not have any instructions on that topic, and when they are, if it is decided so, we will do everything that depends on us, we will carry out the orders without reservations,” said the head of the PK.

Now, in his opinion, at least the schools of the Pomeranian region have planned such checks in their internal rules and carry them out. And the position of the school leaders, with whom R. Rudmin had to communicate, is benevolent, they want to solve the problem.

“On the occasion of the beginning of the new academic year, I want to wish pedagogues that at least such problems do not arise in their work”, said R. Rudminas.

At this point, it is worth reminding that drug traces were found in 6 of the 16 schools in the Šilutė district in 2019. Then traces of marijuana or synthetic substances were found.

The study was conducted using iDenta single-use substance detection tests that can detect heroin, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, methadone, PCP, PMA, DMT and other synthetic drugs (a total of 21 substances). Also herbal drugs: hemp (marijuana/hashish). The research process was monitored by school representatives, 150 tests were performed, 8-10 in each institution.

Last year, information was made public that traces of narcotic substances, mostly strong and expensive cocaine, were found in 27 out of 28 inspected Klaipėda schools. The specialists of the Port City Public Health Office (VSB) then did not hide that the substance found is much stronger than the cannabis found in the previous study.

And from 2022 Of the 11 schools in our district that were checked, traces of marijuana or synthetic substances were found in 7, and no drugs were detected in only 4 schools.

It is also noticeable that traces of drugs are already found in all types of schools, where gymnasiums and vocational schools, where older students study, were previously dominant. These facts are really worrying for everyone, and especially for parents of students.

According to the experts of the Šilute Public Health Office (VSB), last year the schools of our district were still lagging behind the national average in this respect. When the number of school-aged children who smoked tobacco products at least once in the last 30 days in Lithuania was 7 percent, Šilutė district. – 2.5 percent, 12.7 percent of those who smoked tobacco in the last 12 months in Šilutė district. – 9.8 percent

The smoking of electronic cigarettes or the use of similar devices was even higher both in Lithuania and in the municipality of Šilute.

This year, at the end of September, VSB is again preparing to test schools for drugs. Testing will take place in all schools in the district, except for elementary schools.

VSB Director Kristina Surplė says that the crushed parts of cannabis, heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine powder are loose, spread in the environment, and therefore they fall on various surfaces. And the testing does not show the fact of the use of substances, but their traces in the premises.

According to K. Surplės, the Ministry of Health claims that efforts should not be directed to additional inspections of the school or students, but to the organization of preventive measures and psychological support for students.

Šilutė VSB regularly organizes preventive lectures on the topic of drug use and awareness, as it is a way to increase people’s awareness. Lectures are held in schools and VSB, and they cover various topics – not only about the dangers of use, but also stress management, depression and other emotional states. “The most important thing is that people understand how drugs affect their body and mind, and why it is important to avoid them,” says the VSB director.

However, the interlocutor regrets that although preventive lectures are very important, many parents do not think so, and they are more often attended by school representatives and students than parents.

Vaidilutė Intienė, head of the Paediatrics Department of Šilute hospital, does not hide that a few years ago alcohol was the biggest problem in Šilute, and now it is electronic cigarettes. Doctors have children who need to be resuscitated every month. Although not everyone is brought in already in a coma, this does not make it easier for the doctors. According to V. Intiene, even in most cases life-saving medications that stop vomiting often do not work in such cases, children vomit even after several days.

One of the last to be rescued in the Pediatric Department was a fourth grader and a teenage girl. The doctor admits that when the elementary school child recovered, she tried to ask where the children get the intoxicating substances. “Oh, doctor, no problem, you go to school, you have 20 euros and buy as much as you want…” – replied the child. “It’s us adults who are fools in this field, such children already know the roads,” states the doctor.

In V. Intiene’s opinion, the control of police officers would certainly be effective and disciplinary. “And in general, the more control there is in this area, the better.” But it is also very important to educate people so that they know what dangers lurk here. Some teachers will not overcome the problem, because it is not the teachers’ job either, they have to teach,” says the doctor.

Irmantas, 37 years old from Šiluti:

– The extent of the problem is really confusing and I, as the father of a first-year-old daughter, am anxiously reading the increasing number of articles on this topic. I definitely support the schools working with the police to deal with this problem. I don’t see many other ways, because neither teachers nor parents have the authority to test or search students. Schools would face lawsuits if they started testing students themselves. Let’s add the fact that teachers are on strike and the workload is one of the reasons for the strike, so we can’t even think of putting this problem on their shoulders.

I think too little is said about the responsibility of the police and schools in preventing drugs from entering schools. After all, it would be possible to use video surveillance cameras, fences, eavesdropping equipment, perhaps smoke detectors. It seems that drugs are entering educational institutions too easily and if this is not addressed it will be impossible to control the use.

Cornelia, mother of two schoolchildren

– In today’s society, one of the biggest challenges that parents face is the extremely rapid spread of narcotic and psychotropic substances among young people. As a mother, I constantly worry about what substances might affect my child and his peers. I observe how, despite the many preventive activities in schools, prohibited measures spread faster than prevention.

Prevention programs in schools are necessary but not sufficient to protect young people. More stringent measures are needed to prevent the spread of such materials. One possible solution would be for police to visit schools with trained dogs and inspect items. Officers could check students’ backpacks or lockers. Such visits would also be an opportunity to familiarize students with the dangers of drugs, encourage a responsible attitude to health and help them avoid drugs. Most importantly, such visits encourage open dialogue between teachers, police and students. The cooperation of all interested parties is important in order to successfully fight the spread of drugs.