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Schoolies urged to confess drug use

Authorities are telling school leavers they won’t be prosecuted for taking drugs if they admit to taking them during end-of-school celebrations.

The message is being pressed on thousands of Queensland year 12 students at a series of briefings, News Corp Australia reports.

Paramedics say it is their job to save lives and they won’t report drug-takers to police unless they get violent or commit serious crimes.

“We are paramedics, we’re not police,” Queensland Ambulance Service officer Mal Moss told Gold Coast school leavers.

“If you call us for our help, we’re not going to rat you out. We are there specifically to help you.”

Students are being warned against taking drugs but are being told by authorities they cannot be prosecuted for substances they have already taken, the Courier Mail reports.

Police educator Acting Sergeant Tracey Clouston told teens they were “stupid” if they took drugs. But she said they couldn’t be charged if they confessed to taking them unless they were driving or the drugs were still in their possession.

“If you are verbally just telling us that you or your friends have had (drugs), we don’t have a problem with that,” she said.

Schoolies week begins on the Gold Coast next week, with as many as 35,000 expected to visit the glitter strip during the end-of-school celebrations.

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