Bradford Council is to help spearhead a national drive to help young people affected by Drugs.

Local drug action teams will join the Council's own children's services and form a special taskforce to help young people who are abusing drugs or who are affected by someone else's drug abuse.

The initiative has already secured a Government funding grant of £50,000 and Council bosses are reviewing strategies to help deal with the drug issues affecting the youngsters in the area.

Bradford is one of 30 local authorities in the UK helping launch the Government's strategy to reduce the number of young people who become adult drug users.

Levels of drug use among under-18s are believed to have stabilised in the past five years following significant increases during the 1990s.

Bradford Council Leader Margaret Eaton welcomed the project, saying: "Being chosen as a Pathfinder Area is a tribute to the excellent services Bradford Council has in place to work with young people to tackle substance misuse.

"The £50,000 Government grant we will receive will allow us to work with other Pathfinder Areas to further develop models of best practice that we can share with the rest of the country."

Among measures being considered by the task force are awareness sessions in schools and youth groups.

There are also plans to target those young people who are seen as being particularly vulnerable to drug misuse, such as truants, those in care and young offenders in particular. More than half young offenders in custody in the past year admitted to having used Class A drugs.

Minister for Schools Derek Twigg, who is responsible for drugs policy at the DfES, said: "We are developing a wide range of measures which will make an early and sustained impact on delivery of drug services for children and young people.

"The high focus areas is a pioneering project, working intensively with 30 local areas for quick delivery and to develop and test a 'best practice' model of service which we will then disseminate nationally."

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said: "Drugs can have a devastating effect on the lives of children and the Government recently set out a comprehensive strategy to help these vulnerable young people.

"The 30 local authorities announced today will now drive this strategy forward, testing what works best and sharing effective practice across the country.

"They will act as leaders for the whole programme."

For advice on drugs and how they can affect young people, visit the Government's advice website on www.talktofrank.com or telephone 0800 776600.