DRUGS "PARLIAMENT" TO BE HELD

A Drugs and Development Youth Parliament is due to be held in Bangor
tomorrow.

The event is part of a Europe-wide initiative for young people to
learn about, discuss and debate issues involving the production,
trafficking and consumption of illegal drugs.

It is hoped that it will enable them to take fuller responsibilities
for the choices they make and to think of new ways to solve the drugs
problem.

The event at North Down and Ards Institute will be opened by Marion
Smith, mayor of Bangor, and the speakers include Jane Morrice from the
Women's Colaition and Fionnuala Cook, chair of the Southern Health
Board.

Similar youth parliaments are being run in England, Wales and
throughout Europe.

Tomorrow will be the third sitting of the Northern Ireland Parliament
when 60 delegates from five schools and the North Down and Ards
Institute will meet to formulate a drugs policy.

Delegates will also be elected to attend a parliamentary session in
Brussels next autumn.