PARENTS who discover their children are using drugs have been urged to think carefully before following Home Secretary Jack Straw's lead and shopping their children to the police.

The Blackburn MP has been revealed as the Government minister whose 17-year-old son allegedly sold cannabis to a national newspaper reporter.

Mr Straw took his son William to a London police station immediately after learning of the accusations.

But East Lancashire Lifeline manager Keith Owen said that course of action might not always be the right one for parents worried about their youngsters using drugs.

And he urged them to carefully consider the true gravity and consequences of their particular situation before taking any action.

He added: "The helpline and information line is available. "Parents can talk confidentially about what they might expect to happen.

"They should try to put the problem in some kind of context before making a decision, such as throwing a youngster out of their home or going to police, which will affect them for an entire lifetime."

Mr Owen said there were numerous groups available to help parents and families, depending on their particular problem.

He said families had to consider the "big picture" of how drugs have affected individuals at home, school and legal terms before deciding where to turn. He added: "For instance, a group attended by the families of heroin addicts would terrify the parents of a youngster who may be suspected of using cannabis."

Mr Owen said the Home Secretary was fortunately in a position where he would have little to learn from the East Lancashire Lifeline group.

He added: "It would be arrogant to think that Mr Straw would be able to learn anything from us.

"He is obviously an intelligent man who knows enough about these types of situation to decide the best course of action.

"A lot of parents are not that fortunate. And they can lose control of a situation when it is placed in the hands of the police.

"If they speak to us first, we can give them help and information."

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