TEACHING aids to help children understand the dangers of smoking, excessive drinking and recreational drug taking were recently given to Milton Abbot Primary School by Tavistock Lions Club members.

Lions Clubs in the British Isles and Ireland aim to see that young people receive the best possible education in the development of the skills which enable them to avoid the social problems that they may encounter during their school life.

The Lions have formed a partnership with The Advisory Council for Alcohol and Drug Education —TACADE — which provides high quality education programmes.

Smoking, excessive drinking and recreational drug taking are examples of the problems that TACADE educational programmes teach to avoid and more recently, problem –gambling and the handling of bereavement are being addressed.

Steve Grummitt, Lions spokesman, said: 'Tavistock Lions Club has recently provided lesson materials from TACADE to a large number of schools and at a time when the external services that used to deliver these sensitive topics for schools are being restricted, more responsibility falls on teachers. 

'These materials, which are all carefully age related, help teachers convey the right messages in a way that motivates and helps children to understand the world they live in.'