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Outraged parents and residents in a quiet Hertfordshire town have issued a stark warning after discovering sinister stickers advertising cannabis plastered on lampposts – just yards from a school.
The glossy labels, which feature a shiny marijuana leaf and a scannable QR code, are believed to be the latest tactic by brazen drug dealers hoping to hook schoolchildren on illegal substances.
Dozens of the suspicious stickers have appeared at children’s eye level on lampposts and utility boxes surrounding Parkgate Junior School in Watford – just steps from the nearby infants and nursery schools.
Shocked locals say scanning the code links to a Belize-registered website brazenly offering next-day delivery of ‘premium cannabis products’ – some of which are advertised with discounts of up to 33 percent.
‘It isn’t right to put them around schools,’ said Councillor Asif Khan, 48, who attended Parkgate himself and whose own children went there.
‘You wouldn’t put stickers for smoking or alcohol around schools, would you?
‘I don’t want to get into a debate of whether or not cannabis should be legal; you shouldn’t be putting shiny stickers so near to schools.’
Khan, a father-of-two, has been tearing down the illegal adverts himself, along with concerned neighbours, and says this appears to be part of a wider, coordinated effort.
‘It’s a real campaign,’ he said. ‘They’re all over. It’s not just one person doing it. These stickers aren’t advertising to 40-year-olds, they are placed so low.
‘They are plastered around this area and people say other areas have been plastered as well. It’s very concerning and completely unacceptable. We’ve got to look after our kids.
‘It’s the gig economy: anything can be delivered to your door and now drugs are part of that menu.’
Stickers spotted elsewhere in Watford’s high street even encourage scanning with phrases like ‘It’s 420 somewhere’ and ‘Get your delivery’ – a disturbing nod to the global ‘4/20’ cannabis culture.
Kelly, a 37-year-old teacher and mum-of-two who lives across from the school, described the trend as ‘shocking.’
‘It’s disappointing. Opposite a school? Kids are very impressionable and vulnerable. Some [at Parkgate] are on their way into secondary school.
‘There are QR codes for everything these days. The shiny aspect makes it look interesting.
‘You have to educate your children not to scan any QR code. Some kids walk home by themselves. Even if it wasn’t drugs, it could be fraud or something..’
Carol Helmke, 71, who has lived in the area for three decades, said the illicit marketing was clearly geared toward children.
‘I think it’s all targeted at the kids,’ she said. ‘The drug dealers are all trying to out-do each other—it’s all about making money.
‘They put these ideas in kids’ heads and make money out of it. [The stickers are] trying to get kids hooked.’
She added that today’s youth are overexposed to technology, making them even more vulnerable.
‘My son’s first phone was a little Nokia. It was ideal for a child. I don’t agree with all this rubbish they put in phones. Kids these days have too much technology.’
Another concerned mother, Alberta, said she was relieved her children weren’t teenagers in today’s climate.
‘I’m glad I don’t have a teenager now. The stickers are horrendous. It’s horrendous that they are targeting young people.
‘If the QR code takes you to a website, surely the police can take it down?’
Farzana Chaudry, a pharmaceuticals worker who also went to Parkgate, agreed that authorities needed to do more.
‘The fact they have a QR code on there is concerning,’ she said. ‘The stickers are directly opposite the school. Cannabis is perceived as a soft drug and these dealers are targeting the school.
‘You know exactly who they are aimed at. We’re not stupid. You do see young lads on E-scooters going up and down the street.
‘I have seen high-performance cars sitting on the corners of the roads—it’s obvious why they are there. You don’t feel like you can confront them. You’re worried about your safety and your family’s safety.
‘It’s shocking, making it so easy and so accessible to kids with mobile phones, offering discounts, trying to get them hooked. The stickers are really difficult to peel off as well.
‘I think the police could do more: more patrols, acting on the fact that we find stickers next to schools. I know they are overstretched but they need to get a grip on these issues.’
Hertfordshire Constabulary has been approached for comment.
