MORE than 80 per cent of children do not think they will smoke when they are older; three quarters of them would like to speak primarily to their parents about puberty and growing up; and 79 per cent of young people enjoy physical activity a lot.

These are just some of the findings of a major new survey into the health and well-being of young people in St Helens and Knowsley, jointly funded by the Health Authority and the 'Healthy Schools Project.'

Nearly 6,000 children from schools throughout the two boroughs took part in the survey, the first time that such a large-scale study has been conducted in this country. The results of the survey will now be used to plan services that address local needs.

As part of the survey, children completed a confidential, anonymous questionnaire looking at issues ranging from health and their feelings about life, to bullying, drugs and alcohol.

The questionnaires have now been compiled to produce a confidential report for each school and a report looking at findings across the two boroughs. Public Health Consultant, Dr June Tunstall, said: "The results of this survey give us a much better feel for the views, attitudes and behaviour of young people in our area. This will allow us to target health promotion messages more effectively in schools and to look at the quality and the scope of teaching on issues such as drugs and sexual health."

Headteachers will be provided with invaluable information on what is happening in their own school so they can tailor the curriculum accordingly and look at tackling issues such as bullying.

Children who would like to receive personal feedback on their own health can contact the School Health Education Unit on 01392 667272, quoting their individual pin number.