KEEPING their children off drugs is a major concern for all parents.

There are so many things that parents worry will happen to their children, and seeing their loved ones descend into a downward spiral of drug addiction is one of the most serious.

Unfortunately, telling children of any age not to do something is likely to encourage them to do the opposite.

Telling them not to take drugs because it is dangerous or bad for their health will do little in the way of discouraging them.

Hearing that warning from people who have first-hand experience of the misery that drugs cause has more of an impact.

And, knowing how much attention young people pay to celebrities, having someone who has been in the spotlight warning of the dangers of drugs, will hopefully get the message across as strongly as possible.

Former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona’s troubles have been well documented in tabloid newspapers around the world.

She went from the top of the charts, to drug dependency, the breakdown of marriages to bankruptcy.

The mother of five hopefully got her message across at St Joseph’s High, School, Horwich, where she told young people about her addictions in a bid to help students who may find themselves in tough situations.

Explaining the link between addiction and mental health, she hopefully made a difference.