Pretoria – The availability of drugs at primary schools has come under the spotlight after a 9-year-old boy from Centurion was caught selling drugs to primary and high school children.

“The pupil was selling drugs for his mother and father,” Tshwane metro police inspector Sidney de Wet told Beeld.

He said Grade 7 learners were often culprits at primary schools where drugs were used.

The most popular drugs for sale were dagga and nyope.

Inspector De Wet said many primary schools were naïve about drug problems.

“The schools often don’t know which signs to look out for – like dagga, which makes eyes turn red, nyope which brings about sleepiness and Cat, which makes users aggressive.”

He said teachers and parents should look out for plastic bags that can be sealed as well as containers and even sorbet bags which are used to carry drugs.

An educational expert from the University of the Free State confirmed that many primary school children used drugs.

“What I have seen is that many primary schools have children who use drugs. It is not all the primary schools,” said Dr Lynette Jacobs.

She said a study of high school pupils in Gauteng, the Free State and the Eastern Cape revealed that 58% regularly used dagga at school while 38% said other drugs were used on school property.