ASIAN teenagers across East Lancashire are being targeted in a propaganda war launched today against the menace of drugs. The message uses the Islamic law to hammer over the anti-drug message and has the backing of religious leaders.

The Shari'Ah, part of the Quoran, is very similar to the Christian Ten Commandments and specifically bans any form of drug abuse.

The anti-drugs leaflet is written in English and will be distributed through through schools, community centres, police stations and mosques. It is being sponsored by Asian fashion companies, who have also paid for an associated poster campaign.

The posters have the slogan 'Say No and Phone' and incorporate advice in Urdu and Gujerati.

The guide has been produced by the police, making Lancashire the first force in the country to specifically target Asian communities with guidance and advice about drugs and the issues that surround them.

Chief Inspector Frank Harding, of the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime, said: "We know from our own experience that a lot of criminality revolves around drugs and is related to use or supply. "Substance abuse is totally prohibited in Islam. We needed to tap into Islamic law because it gives us a starting point we had not tried before.

"The response from the Islamic Foundation and the Lancashire Council of Mosques has been very positive and we have been supported by Asian businesses who have put their money where their philosophy is."

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