Controlled substance use More drugs in schools
MUNICH/BONN · Whether cannabis or crystal meth, the number of controlled substances found at schools in Germany has climbed drastically in the past years. In NRW, the numbers have nearly doubled since 2011.
Numbers released by the Interior Ministry and the State Office of Criminal Investigations shows an increase in drug use at schools. In North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), the number of cases doubled from 443 in 2011 to 897 cases in 2015. In 2014, the number had even climbed to 957. Most of the violations in NRW were related to cannabis (261). There was one narcotics violation in 2015 involving heroin; in both 2011 and 2014, there were three cases involving heroin.
In Rhineland-Palatinate schools, there were 87 cases of controlled substance use at schools in 2011, 161 cases in 2014 and 147 in 2015. Cannabis was also the main drug involved in these instances. In Baden-Württemberg, the number of drug cases at schools nearly tripled - from 348 cases in 2011 to 939 cases four years later, despite drug prevention programs.
In most of the cases, the charges were related to possession or acquisition of marijuana. Marlene Mortier, the federal drug commissioner sees the “downplaying of marijuana use in society” as an important aspect contributing to the developments. “Especially for young people, prevention and information are important,” she said.
Whether or not Bonn schools had been experiencing more dealing or whether Bonn schools in general saw more illegal drugs could not be answered by Bonn police on Monday. Criminal statistics for Bonn, Bad Honnef, Königswinter and Rhine-Sieg County on the left side of the Rhine were recorded, but not the exact locations where the drug offenses took place. However, a spokesperson did comment that from the information and data they have collected, there was the feeling the numbers had gone up a fair amount.
(Orig. text: dpa/jab)
