A CALL has been made for urgent action to stop local pupils from taking drugs during the school day.

Local councillor Lynne Quinn says she is 'horrified' by an alarming rise in the number of young people aged 15 to 24 who are using illegal substances.

She says it is clear that there are youngsters taking drugs at break-times then returning to class under the influence.

The independent representative has now demanded that education chiefs take more responsibility to help tackle drug abuse problems in school.

Shocking new figures recently reported in the Tele exposed the extent of drug use in Inverclyde - with local young men twice as likely to have a drug problem compared with the rest of Scotland.

Councillor Lynne Quinn, speaking out at a meeting of the influential joint board on health and care, said: "I am horrified by these figures for young people.

"We know there was a historical drug problem in Inverclyde with an older generation.

"But we now also have the issue of 15-24 year-olds.

"I think we know that we have kids taking drugs during the school day.

"They come in after lunch and they have clearly been taking drugs."

Cllr Quinn says there must be more education and increased awareness of drug abuse among pupils.

She asked: "What is education doing about it?

"We need to be clear that they have a responsibility for what is going on in the schools.

"I sit on the education and communities committee and would like to see a report on this."

New figures show that drug use among young men aged 15 to 24 stands at a rate of 3.09 per cent, which is twice the figure for Scotland for the same age group and sex.

In Inverclyde as whole the prevalence rate for drug abuse is 2.9 per cent, again twice as high as the rest of Scotland.

Health and social care director Louise Long insists that the problem is known about and that a wide approach would be taken to try and solve it.