Our columnist this week is a 20-year-old student from Thornton Robert Wooller

I wish people would lay off Charles Kennedy about his drink problem. ITV news investigated him over it, which lead to his resignation, and they have conveniently forgotten that journalists have an image that they love to drink.

In the old days, journalists used to go to the pub to talk about a story or go get a drink after work. Fleet Street was awash with drinkers.

On Thursday night when he admitted he had a drinking problem, the media crucified him over it. Who are they to talk?

People will say Kennedy is not fit to hold office because drink will cloud his judgment. I say to them, his private life is his own affair. It is nothing to do with anybody else.

When he admitted he had a drink problem he wasn't actually admitting that it was still a problem. He said it had been resolved. Even though he lied, Kennedy didn't lie about a war which has claimed many innocent lives. It also wasn't sleazy.

Charles Kennedy had been leader of the Liberal Democrats since 1999 without a blemish on his record. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Liberal Democrats now that he has resigned. They already have Everest to climb if they are going to win the next general election.

The Tories haven't said much about the affair yet. In other words by not saying anything about him, we don't know their stance. Maybe they can't talk or are staying silent on the matter for PR reasons. Whatever the reasons, if the Tories are going to shake off their weak image, they should speak up about Kennedy. May be they could steal a few votes from the Liberal Democrats by doing this.

The day after he admitted his drink problem one senior Lib-Dem MP said his position would be untenable if Kennedy didn't quit as leader.

But what has it got to do with him? All he is doing by threatening to quit his job is making the situation worse. He should be more concerned about the issues affecting his constituents.

We should be proud of what Mr. Kennedy has done by admitting he had this problem, which is now being resolved. He is in fact making other alcoholics want to reform because he was saying to them, 'Look, I am leader of a major political party and I have a drink problem like you do'.

I must admit it was nave of him to think he could keep this problem private, what with the media as it is today. But he is very brave in coming forward. Bravery and honesty offers a stark contrast to the type of MPs and leaders in British politics you get now. We mustn't forget, alcoholism is not the sort of thing you go around admitting to other people. Kennedy was probably too ashamed to come forward earlier.

Alcoholism affects lots of people, and alcoholics will take note from him that it can affect people high up in office like him as well as the ordinary person in the street.

People should leave him alone and journalists should get their priorities right in who and which issues they get all worked up about.