LESSONS about the dangers of dabbling in drugs have been given by pupils to their classmates.

Year 10 pupils at three York secondary schools prepared presentations for their fellow students after attending a residential weekend to get them started on ideas.

Students at Burnholme Community College developed a play called Injury Time, telling the story of a teenager whose potential football career is thwarted by getting involved in drugs.

The play was developed at Barlby School, Selby, last year as part of a health education project.

Four actors, Kelly Astbury, Jamie Glover, Anthony Henderson and Danielle Masterson, performed the play under the guidance of teacher Tina Wright, then stayed in character to answer questions from the audience.

A nightclub setting was chosen by students at Millthorpe School, where Luke McNorton, Sarah Richardson and Julie Thompson, who set out a scenario of a young person collapsing after taking drugs, with the help of teacher Sue Cordell.

Members of the audience were shown how to get help and how to do first aid, and also discussed how the situation could have been prevented.

Pupils at Oaklands School gave a demonstration of the long and short term effects of drug use using "mock-up" samples to show the audience, in a project co-ordinated by teacher Pat Nobbs.

The whole project was a joint effort by staff from North Yorkshire Specialist Health Promotion Service and the City of York's education department.

PICTURE: Cast members of the play Injury Time which highlighted the dangers of drug abuse