A PROGRAMME working to encourage young people across Stockton borough to live healthy lives has been given a national seal of approval.

The Stockton Healthy School Programme, which is offered to all Stockton schools, has been formally accredited to the national standard. This means that it fulfils the criteria for the National Healthy School Standard.

Each of the 25 schools enrolled on the scheme receives training and support from the programme, which also provides funding for initiatives to address local health issues and education priorities.

One initiative being developed is a sex and relationship education programme, which is being piloted in several secondary schools.

This uses the expertise of health professionals to support teachers, parents and governors, who are trying to help young people make informed choices, while also aiming to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.

There were 181 under-18 conceptions in the borough in 1998, a figure which must be cut by 15 per cent by 2004 and 50 per cent by 2010 if national targets are to be met.

Gloria Pearson, Stockton healthy school programme co-ordinator, said the figure was coming down and was 151 in 2000.

She said: "This downward trend is most encouraging and with the Stockton Healthy School Programme working alongside the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood Strategy, we are on target to reach national targets."

The programme is also funding the development of a scheme to support young people who are trying to give up smoking and money has been used to draw up a Kick-Start programme, to be offered to pupils aged ten to 13, to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol.