PUPILS from three East Lancs schools are experiencing their first taste of a ground-breaking education research programme.

The Blueprint project for 11 to 13-year-olds is the largest study ever undertaken in the UK and involves nearly 5,000 students.

They will be given 10 new drug interactive lessons, with discussion groups and role plays, and it is hoped the activities at Walton High School, in Nelson; Mount Carmel RC, in Accrington, and Alder Grange, in Rossendale, will give pupils a genuine ability to deal with drug-related and adolescent issues.

The research will be directly compared to students given a standard drugs education

The scheme hopes to break down pupils' misconceptions about what peers are up to by giving accurate information about alcohol and tobacco - known as a normative approach.

To support the lessons, pupils will receive their own Blueprint book.