Scandal Of Child Heroin Dealers

Child dealers of heroin, cocaine and other banned substances are being arrested at the rate of one every four days in the latest sign that Scotland is in the grip of a drugs epidemic. More than 300 children – some as young as 10 – have been charged with supplying in the past three years and a total of 20kgs of drugs seized by police.

The figures, obtained from all eight Scottish police forces, show for the first time the full, shocking extent of drug dealing among under-16s. Scotland’s most senior drug enforcement officer said celebrities must shoulder some of the blame for the crisis of drug abuse among the nation’s children.

Graeme Pearson, head of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said The View frontman Kyle Falconer, convicted last week for cocaine possession, was among those setting a bad example.

Among the revelations in the new figures, obtained under Freedom of Information, are:

• The youngest charged was a 10-year-old supplier of Ecstasy, caught by Strathclyde Police;
• Strathclyde also caught two 11-year-old heroin pushers and a 13-year-old selling cocaine;
• Fife Police caught a 13-year-old dealing amphetamines;
• Central Scotland caught one 15-year-old dealing three kinds of drugs: cannabis, diazepam, and cocaine;
• Grampian caught one 15-year-old with 1.5kg of cannabis;
• Lothian and Borders Police charged three children, a 12-year-old and two 14-year-olds, with peddling the anti-hyperactivity drug Ritalin, which abusers snort as a stimulant.

Police and social work insiders say young dealers are getting their drugs from two main sources: older dealers who want to use them as a “front” and by stealing from parents and siblings who themselves use drugs. While some of the dealing takes place at school, most of it happens at social gatherings.

Police insiders say some of the child pushers are not themselves addicts and are simply in it for business. While a “first sample” might be free the drugs will later be traded for about £50 an ounce of cannabis, with heroin going for £15 a gram, and cocaine £50 a gram.

Drugs experts and leading politicians reacted with concern. Kenny MacAskill, the SNP’s justice spokesman, said: “These figures are truly shocking. Some of these young people will be the victims of drugs at home and will need protection, but some are using drugs to exploit other youngsters. It shows that there are no lows to which the drugs industry will not stoop.”

A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “It’s perfectly clear that this Lib-Lab pact’s approach to drug education has failed. We have children as young as 10 supplying hard drugs.”

Kyle Falconer, 19, was fined £1,000 on Friday for possessing £150 worth of cocaine. The conviction delayed the Dundee band’s eight-date tour of the United States and could scupper their chances of ever playing there.

Pearson, the head of the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency, suggested such behaviour was one of the reasons so many children were getting into drugs.

He said: “Prominent people and celebrities who call for drugs to be decriminalised are not helping. Young people are using what they say as a justification for trying drugs. Kyle Falconer now has an opportunity to put it all behind him and choose whether he is going to be a drug abuser or a musician of real note, but he can’t be both. Does he really want to put his career at risk for some white powder?”

An adult may be jailed for life for supply of Class A drugs such as heroin and up to 14 years for Class B substances such as cannabis. The Crown Office reserves the right to try in court children of any age for drug supply, although in practice most young peddlers are sent to the Children’s Panel, which can order an offender to be supervised at home or send them to a secure unit.

A recent case at a high school in Glasgow saw police called after a pupil had informed a teacher that cannabis was being sold in the playground. The 15-year-old was caught within the grounds of his school with 10 wrapped pieces of cannabis resin.

Although he could have been sent to a secure unit, the Children’s Panel allowed him to remain at home on condition that he should attend a special drugs programme for teenagers and that he had to return three months later so his behaviour could be reassessed.

All of Scotland’s police forces have charged children with drug supply in the past three years, with Strathclyde recording 119, Lothian and Borders 43, and Central Scotland and Fife 13 each.

Tayside charged 19, Grampian 52, and Northern 26, although figures were only available for the last two years. In the south, Dumfries and Galloway saw 19 children charged.

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said: “Problematic drug use in Scotland is falling and reported drug use among school children remains stable. However, these figures show that more needs to be done to stop young people getting involved in drugs in the first place – and that’s why the minister has announced that while enforcement will continue to be a key part of drugs strategy, that we intend to place much greater emphasis on drug prevention and drug education.”