REVELLERS are being reminded that the party season could leave them with a baby as well as a hangover.
Blackburn with Darwen Primary Care Trust is circulating credit-card-sized reminders about the availability of the morning-after pill.
Julie Wareing, centre manager with Brook Advisory Centre, Blackburn, which offers pregnancy advice to youngsters, said even the most careful people could make mistakes and no method of contraception was 100 per cent reliable.
She said women could take the morning-after pill up to three days after sex.
"Brook and other services in Blackburn have structured their holiday opening times to ensure that they are not closed for more than a 72-hour period at any one time," she said.
The morning-after pill has been available free on request from selected chemist shops in Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Blackburn and Darwen since spring 2002.
Altogether 111 pharmacists in 59 chemist shops have been trained to dispense these pills which are also available from Brook centres, GP surgeries, Step-in clinics and family planning clinics.
Malcolm Fagelman, project director for the pharmacy scheme said: "The service offered by trained pharmacists is completely free and confidential and consists of a short consultation in a private area of the pharmacy in order to make sure that the emergency contraceptive pill will be safe and effective for those requesting it."
For details of participating pharmacies, ring NHS Direct on 0845 464748 or visit their web-site at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk.
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