Drugs in 'Waterloo Road' (4.5)

In episode 5 of series 4 of 'Waterloo Road' there were 81 references to drugs verbally or through images. Below are some points I picked out/quotes to show the attitude of the show towards drugs:

- Banner of "Waterloo Road says no to drugs" outside was changed to"Waterloo Road says more drugs please"
- "Are you ready for the drugs awareness day?"
- "It's not like we're trying to label the kids as a bunch of dopeheads"
- Marley (head boy) lights up a 'spliff' with paper
- "Treating us like junkies, for what, a bit of a smoke at the weekend?"
- Gotta go to this drgs thingy"
- "Don't want messages like this [banner] going out to the pupils do ya?"
- Secret taker"
- "Right rebel"
- Drugs & alcohol awareness leaflets
- Drugs awareness campaign
- Drugs education classes
- "Life of crime"
- "The only people having fun with drugs are the dealers"
- Sting of teacher with drugs
- Cheek swabs
- "When you live with someone who gets off their face every night, you'll see"
- "they'll pack you off to drugs awareness sessions"
- "Legalise Drugs Now" picture with teacher holding banner (in 70sish)
- Questioning Steph (French teacher) about drugs
- Banner at the end (55mins)

Drugs in Waterloo Road

Series 1 episode 5
Broadcast 06/04/06 on BBC1 at 8pm

Zak is seen with a pharmacy bag emptying pills into it before throwing away the jar/pot. Because he's late and has no homework his teacher, Grantly Budgen, mocked him with animal noises and said he must've been "too busy smoking crack" .

There were prominently displayed 'Talk To Frank' posters in the young offenders phone area.

Budgen says later "if you ask me, he's [Zak] a little junkie"

Zak shows symptoms of drug abuse - he's sniffing and wiping his nose - which leads staff to suggest he's abusing solvents.

When Zak runs off from the 'cooler' the staff assume he's "gone for a fix" and they'd have to "crawl all the neighbouring crack dens" to find him. It is interesting how only the staff mention drugs explicitly and see them as a problem yet don't appear to want to provide help for Zak.