Experiences of Australian School Staff in Addressing Student Cannabis Use

• NCJ Number: 247164
• Journal: Journal of Drug Education Volume: 43 Issue: 2 Dated: 2013 Pages: 121-139
• Author(s): Peter J. Gates, Ph.D.; Melissa M. Norberg, Ph.D.; Paul Dillon, DipTch, MPS; Ramesh Manocha, MBBS, B.Sc., Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2013
• Length: 19 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Australian Dept of Health and Ageing
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This research investigated school staff responses to student cannabis use.

Abstract

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug by Australian secondary school students yet there is scant research investigating school staff responses to student cannabis use. As such, this study surveyed 1,692 school staff who attended Generation Next seminars throughout Australia. The self-complete survey identified that the majority of school staff had discussed cannabis use at least once in the past year, although teachers were less likely to report having cannabis-related discussions compared to other school staff. Staff drug education training was consistently associated with an increased prevalence of cannabis-related discussion and assistance. These findings highlight a need for drug education among school staff and particularly among teachers. (Published Abstract)