A CLEVEDON church is running a special course for parents advising them on how to 'drug proof' their children

A CLEVEDON church is running a special course for parents advising them on how to 'drug proof' their children.Living Waters Church is funding the course, run by charity Care for the Family and called 'How to Drug Proof Your Kids', to help local parents warn their children of the dangers of drugs.The course runs over six weeks and is presented by church members who have been specially trained to teach the parents.It is aimed at mums and dads of children aged eight, with information about the course being sent to parents via the town's primary schools and Clevedon Community School.Interest in the course, being held at the town council offices, has been huge, with the first one due to kick off this weekend.Living Waters Church leader Daniel Sibthorpe said: "We are looking for opportunities where we can be a blessing to the community."Drugs is an issue that a lot of people are worried about and this course gives parents the information they need to allow them to communicate with their children and discuss the dangers of drugs."There has been a lot of interest in the course and it is something that we want to run regularly."The initiative was initially developed in Australia where over 22,000 parents have attended the course.It also runs in Canada and France and was introduced to the UK in 2003, with hundreds of parents signing up to a course in their local community.The course aims to help parents:* Become better informed about drugs and why and how they are used.* Learn to communicate with their children about drugs* Develop plans to use at home to help their children make informed decisions* Examine their own beliefs, attitudes and behaviour about drug abuse* Benefit from the support of other parents and be encouraged by the fact that they are not aloneA Drug Proof Your Kids spokesman said: "Because DPYK is primarily about prevention it is idea for parents and carers of children aged eight and above." Living Waters Church meets each Sunday at Clevedon Community School and organises a number of initiatives in the town including care groups.Anyone wanting to sign up for the course can contact 01275 797999.