The regrettable deaths of two teenagers in Scunthorpe at the weekend has re-ignited the debate over drugs sold as ‘legal highs’ in the UK.

Government ministers have requested a review of the drug from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and many expect the freely available drug used in this instance, Mephedrone, to be given some classification.

History bears graphic testament to the thesis that prohibition does not work. Not a single substance deemed illicit has been successfully controlled by prohibition. Banning a substance invigorates its supply through illicit channels, making it attractive and ultimately profitable to organised criminals. Unregulated supply in the hands of criminals leads to product impurity which invariably leads to death on the streets. In addition, an enormous sink for public funds is created fighting a newly created black market.

The free experimentation we encourage and laud in young people in so many other fields of endeavour needs to be channeled away from destructive outlets.  This can only be achieved through education. Mandatory drug education and awareness programs need to be introduced to schools in the pre-teen years, and augmented over the impressionable years.

In recent years, we have made significant progress in educating young people about the dangers of smoking and tobacco. In less than a generation, tobacco has been successfully stigmatized to the point that we see a decline in the habit’s uptake in young people. Can we not repeat these successes for other substances?

If teenagers, in receipt of the facts, are entrusted to make decisions about their lives, invariably they will not disappoint their mentors.  Educators must lead through example and nurture young people in the ways of what is right (as opposed to what is legal), leaving behind the parochial mentality based largely on fear and misunderstanding.