EDUCATION bosses are to hand out 200,000 copies of a leaflet giving parents advice on the drugs dangers facing their children.

Most will be available through schools, but 30,000 will be on display at health centres and libraries.

The leaflet, entitled Shed Some Light . . . Your Child and Drugs, has been translated into six languages.

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said, "It is often parents who are in the front line in the fight to stop our young people becoming the victims of drug abuse.

"Ask any parent or carer to talk about their concerns for their children and the subject of drugs will be high, if not top of the list. But talking about it can be difficult, both for parents and children, so we have produced this leaflet to help."

Shed Some Light . . . Your Child and Drugs offers parents tips on how they can help protect their youngsters, and, if they have concerns, who can help. It recommends talking to teachers about their child's school's drug policy and finding out if it is involved in the county council's Health Schools Initiative.

Coun Harding said, "As a mother, I know the concern parents have about their children's welfare.

"There is already a great deal of excellent advice available if parents discover their children are experiencing problems.

"This leaflet is valuable because it offers advice on the of ten difficult questions of how to talk to your children about this sensitive matter and help them to share with you whether they are experiencing problems."