TEENAGERS are turning to a new source of information in an attempt to solve their problems -- the World Wide Web. Thanks to a new service launched by Lancashire County Council, youngsters can now fire off an e-mail or log on to a website to get answers to a variety of problems.

Reporter DAVID HIGGERSON meets the people behind the WhatNow? scheme. TEENAGE sex, drug-taking, bullying and concerns about sexuality -- they are all age-old problems which every young generation thinks is new to them.

But whereas the problems might be old, the way the current generation of teenagers is dealing with them is very different -- they are getting the answers and help they need from an e-mail advice service based in Accrington.

A kind of online agony aunt, the q2a service, a Lancashire County Council project attached to the successful WhatNow? advice schemes, provides youngsters across the country with access to counsellors based at a call centre in Accrington.

Project manager Kathy Stevenson, said: "Youngsters often need someone to talk to but don't know where to turn. All they need here is access to the internet, where they can tell us their problems and we will try and help them, either by giving them advice or putting them in contact with people who can help them."

The pioneering e-mail idea is an extension to Lancashire County Council's WhatNow? project, which started life some 10 years ago as a booklet given out to school-leavers containing useful phone numbers.

From there, a series of drop-in centres were opened across the county, including ones in Accrington and Bacup and, more recently, a callcentre was opened for youngsters to ring in the evening. The call centre is also based in Accrington.

In the last 12 months, some 31,000 calls have been made to the call centre from youngsters across the UK. The WhatNow? service is also subscribed to by 21 local authorities across the country.

Now they are preparing to deal with an influx of problems via email. But the service is also there to deal with other, less heard-of worries.

Kathy added: "They may seem like small concerns, but they are things youngsters sometimes don't want to ask because they think they will upset someone or be made to look stupid.

"We differ from other helplines because we will deal with anything.

"Here, we deal with every problem a teenager may face and, if we can't help, we can put them in immediate contact with people who can help."

A website set up by the organisation to dispense basic information on issues is set to be expanded to help promote the e-mail service. Kathy added: "We do have a website, but we are improving it so youngsters can discuss their problems with one another. They can also e-mail us and we will reply to them within 24 hours.

"If they do not have a secure e-mail address, we will post the information on our website so they can access it whenever they want.

"They will be able to describe the problems in their own words, mention what they feel is important and say what help they require all in one go. We offer confidential, non-judgmental advice and that is why it is so popular."

County Councillor Hazel Harding, who was shown how the service works last week, added: "Everyone knows that the teenage years are a challenging time of people's lives, with them facing situations they have never dealt with before.

"The e-mail development is particularly important because many youngsters are already on online so they don't have to make an effort to contact us.

"They can also remain anonymous, if they want." CASEBOOK A TEENAGER rang to say he was stealing from his mum. He told the advice line he was taking ecstasy around town most nights and needed to steal from his mum to get the money. He said his mum hadn't noticed yet. He added he was worried he might get thrown out of home because he was already in trouble for smoking marijuana.

The counsellor discussed whether he was more worried about the fact he was taking the drug or the fact he might be thrown out. The teenagers said he wanted to get off ecstasy.

He spoke about pressures he was facing, such as peer pressure and the risk his friends might 'drop him in it' if he stopped taking.

He said he wanted to stop taking the drug, so WhatNow? referred him to his local drugs actions team.

A YOUNG girl called to say her boyfriend, with whom she was having safe sex, wanted to stop using protection. She felt she should not have to buy condoms. The counsellor said perhaps that she felt threatened by not using contraception, she should tell her boyfriend that if they did not have protection, they would not have sex. She said she felt ashamed about buying condoms. She was told it would be a good idea for her to visit the Brook Advisory Centre.

A GIRL rang to ask what cremation was. When asked why she was asking, she said her grandad had died and she was worried it might hurt him. She was told dead people do not feel pain. The counsellor explained there would ashes for her to scatter. The counsellor and the girl talked about the effect the death had had on the family. She asked if it was silly to talk to his photo. The counsellor replied that it was perfectly normal, and that her grandad would probably have liked it. She ended the call by saying she felt happier.

A GIRL of 13 rang to talk about her boyfriend, also 13, who had died in a car crash three months before. She had been referred to a counsellor and had been told to take each day as it comes.

The counsellor asked why she had called today. She said it was because today was his birthday. She had gone to his grave and laid flowers. The counsellor and the girl spoke about her memories of him and how she could remember him. It was suggested she write a letter, light a candle or listen to music while watching his photo.

The conversation ended when the girl said she was going to sit quietly in her room and think about him.

How to access the WhatNow? services:

By email: www.q2a.co.uk

via Website: www.whatnow.co.uk

Freephone: 0800 51 11 11 (weekday evenings from 4-10pm)

Drop in centres: located Accrington and Bacup, plus a mobile service in Pendle.