A mother's bid to tackle issue

A MOTHER and former teacher is to outline her plans to set up a drug awareness group in Buntingford tonight (Thursday). Ann Bullen, of White Hart Close, Buntingford, will present an initiative provided by the charity, Care for the Family, called How to Drug Proof Your Kids, to members of Buntingford Town Council. The course aims to help parents and carers to steer children aged eight to 12 years away from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. She said: "I really want to set the group up. I'm a mother of teenagers and I taught at Freman College, so I'm aware of the real drug problems in the town." The course is a parenting skills course which will give parents ideas about trying to prevent children making bad choices when they are teenagers. It will also enable parents to learn from each other's experiences and receive positive guidance. Mrs Bullen said: "I have had enough of drug problems in the town. We should therefore do something early to prevent the problem from escalating. "If the group was established in Buntingford it would not only benefit families and protect children in the area, but also have the positive knock-on effect of reducing anti-social behaviour in the future." Mrs Bullen continued: "Research shows that better informed parents and families can communicate more effectively with their children and have a positive influence on the decisions they make about drugs - significantly reducing the risks. "Risk-taking is a normal part of growing up, as is stretching and testing the boundaries, but it can be difficult as a parent to know how to respond. "The course will provide a place for parents to discuss these challenges." Insp Paul Lawrence said: "It's a positive thing and something we would support in principle. "It sounds like the sort of thing communities need in order to do something about the problem." If premises are found to run the group and the town council is in support of the idea, a six-week course of two-hour sessions would cost £15.