YOUNG CHURCHGOERS `SELDOM USE DRUGS'

Young people who attend church regularly seldom use drugs, says a new
survey completed for the Presbyterian Church.

However, the proportion of young churchgoers who do use drugs, alcohol and
cigarettes grows as they become older.

Even so, at the age of 16-17, nearly four times as many non-attenders as
churchgoers are experimenting with drugs.

The gap for cigarettes is 14%, and 13% for alcohol.

Revealingly, 65% of 11-13-year-olds had taken alcohol, 85% of them being
given it by their parents.

"This fact indicates that social attitudes to alcohol within the church is
by no means abstentionist," said the report.

"Clearly many parents whose children attend churches and church-based
organisations believe that the use of alcohol by children is not
potentially harmful.

"This assumption flies in the face of research, which shows that the
long-term abuse of alcohol is exceedingly damaging to health and social
well-being."