RCMP in Nova Scotia's Pictou County arrested 13 high school students for drug use on Friday.

The police used eight vehicles, a helicopter, ten officers and a police dog in a quick arrest of the students at a convenience store in Alma, N.S.

A quantity of marijuana and hash was also seized.

Cpl. Al Affleck oversaw the arrests in the helicopter, saying, "It was done basically for the impact."

Police had been watching the Northumberland Regional High School students smoke marijuana and hash in the store's parking lot and in their cars for the last several weeks.

"They were doing it any place that they felt comfortable and that was the problem," said Affleck. "They felt comfortable doing it in a public area."

Four of the students are under the age of 17, while eight are 18 years old. One student is 19. They all face criminal charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

The police aren't finished arresting students, according to Affleck. "We're viewing the video tapes from our surveillance.

"Before our investigation is over, it will have involved between 30 to 50 students from the school."

Affleck believes the majority of students arrested this weekend will be issued a warning in the presence of their parents or legal guardians.

A court date for the 13 arrested so far has not been set yet.