Scottish Government
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Response to drugs campaign
A recent multi-media campaign urging Scots parents to discuss drugs with their children has prompted a near six-fold increase in visits to the 'Know the Score' website and a 41 per cent rise in calls to the helpline.
Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing announced the figures as he joined the parents of Emma Caldwell - who helped launch the campaign in March - to meet KTS telephone advisers and thank them for their role in the campaign.
There were 25,779 visits to the website during the six-week campaign, compared to 4,365 over the same period in January and February.
The public made 784 calls to the helpline (0800 587 587 9) during the campaign compared to 556 in the preceding six weeks.
Mr Ewing said:
"I'm encouraged by the success of this latest Know The Score campaign. It has helped raise awareness, not just about exposure of many children to drugs but also about the availability of advice and support for those seeking to discuss the issue with them.
"The message is that if parents don't discuss drugs with their children, someone else will, and very often they'll be getting the wrong advice.
"During this month, parents have a further opportunity to engage with the campaign's main message, as 55,000 Primary 7 school children across Scotland attend the Choices for Life events.
"I want to thank the KTS advisers who have already assisted many parents in equipping themselves with clear and credible advice.
"And I again want to thank Margaret and William Caldwell for their courageous decision to step up and publicly back the campaign. I have no doubt that in highlighting their personal tragedy they have encouraged many other parents to discuss these issues with their children
"While the formal media campaign has now ended, the Know the Score website and helpline remain in place and advisors stand ready to provide advice and information so parents have the confidence to talk to their children about drugs and the consequences of their use."
The 'Know the Score' parents campaign was launched on March 16.
The parents campaign has involved television, radio, newspaper and online advertising, PR work and targeted street leafleting, as well as partnerships with employers involving the distribution of 33,000 leaflets, 1,250 posters and 17,500 Parents Guides.
In the 2006 Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle & Substance Use Survey, nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of 13 year olds said they had been offered a drug, while 9 per cent said they had used a drug. More than half (53 per cent) of 15 year olds said they had been offered a drug and over a quarter (27 per cent) said they had used a drug.
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