The Somerset County Gazette and Bridgwater Mercury are backing an ambitious project to combat drug and alcohol abuse among Somerset schoolchildren.

The £120,000 scheme aims to create a specially-adapted mobile classroom to give 16,000 primary school pupils advice about substance abuse and health issues.

The project, which has already enjoyed success in other parts of the country will visit 100 schools in an area spanning Taunton, Wellington, Bridgwater, Wiveliscombe and Minehead.

It is led by charity group Life Education Centres, which prompted the Stop It Before It Starts campaign.

Editor-in-chief Ken Bird said: “The rise in drug and alcohol abuse among schoolchildren is very worrying, and we need to do something now to combat the problem.

“We’re proud to launch the Stop It Before It Starts campaign, which aims to take the positive action so urgently required. We are urging all of our readers to back the effort.”

The Somerset project took shape thanks to the efforts of a group of parents, school governors and magistrates concerned about the growing substance abuse problem among Somerset’s schoolchildren.

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