Children Given a 'Natural High'

Around three thousand Solihull schoolchildren are to be given a ‘natural high,’ as part of a programme to encourage them to steer clear of drugs and alcohol.

Solihull Police have organised the 'Natural High' project, which will tour secondary schools in the borough between March 21 and 29.

The presentation is led by singer songwriter David Graham; a key element of the project is his performance of the song, which gives its name to the programme.

The message in the song is just one of the ways police hope to encourage students to get a natural high from using their natural talents, rather than resorting to drugs and alcohol.

David Graham, the presenter of the tour says, “Drugs are one issue raised in the show, however it is also about building young people's confidence in themselves.

“I get the students to focus on the positive, which is that their Natural Talents will give them a high that no chemical can ever do.”

“Young people have a wide variety of abilities and it's important for them to realise this so that they can develop them and get their 'high' naturally.”

The presentation also raises awareness of the dangers of illegal drug use, crime and anti-social behaviour, to give young people the information to make their own choices.

This is the sixth year the programme has been run in the boroughs schools, organised by Solihull Police and paid for by the Safer Solihull Partnership.

In that time the programme has grown from being delivered in just one school to connecting with nearly every Secondary school child in Solihull.

Sergeant Ann Strachan said, "This is just part of the on-going work we and partners are doing to engage with young people in Solihull, to equip them with proper facts about crime, drugs, alcohol and anti-social behaviour.

“Crime has again reduced in Solihull and through such programmes we can help prevent young people offending.”

Malcolm Evans, a teacher at Arden Academy says, “The extremely close links forged between the school and the local police and drug agencies, enables the students to access practical information which they might not otherwise be able to easily get to.”