A SURVEY carried out among pupils in the county's schools has revealed detailed results about young people's attitudes towards drink, drugs and exercise, reports Ruth Lythe.

The findings of the report, commissioned by Cumbria County Council's Healthy Schools and the Drug and Alcohol Action Team, provided an in-depth snapshot of the lives of Cumbrian schoolchildren between the ages of nine and 15.

The research involved 2,000 young people from 24 primary and secondary schools across the county.

Schools taking part in South Lakeland were: Vicarage Park School, Heron Hill School and Kirkbie Kendal School in Kendal, and St Mark's CE School in Natland.

The pupils were given a confidential questionnaire, which they answered in exam-type conditions. The subjects covered included drink, drugs, exercise, homework, diet, and satisfaction with life.

Some of the results showed that: * Twenty-three per cent of 15-year-old males in the county had drunk more than 14 units of alcohol in the previous week; higher than the UK average. Most of the alcohol was bought from a supermarket and drunk at home with their parents' knowledge.

* Drug use in Cumbria is down - only 15 per cent of the young people admitted using drugs according to the latest research, compared with 19 per cent in the last similar survey in 2003.

Don't miss The Westmorland Gazette, out on Friday, for further coverage on the survey.