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Needle Awareness Lessons for School Children

PRIMARY school children in Stranraer have been teaching themselves what to do when they find a syringe or needle lying in a public place.

Following a number of incidents where needles, discarded by drug users, have been found in the street, police in the town set up a competition designed to teach the youngsters how to react to such a situation.

Pupils at the five local primary schools were asked to design a poster explaining how to react - and the winners were announced last Monday by Scottish Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson.

The winning poster, designed by nine-year-old Carrick Laburn of Sheuchan Primary will now be reproduced and displayed in schools and other public places throughout the region.

Carrick's poster explained the three easy steps - leave the needle where it is; never touch it under any circumstances and tell a responsible adult as soon as possible to arrange for its removal.

Constable Alan Dillon, who devised the competition said:

"We felt it was important to ensure that children of all ages were aware of the dangers posed by discarded needles."