A HI-TECH weapon in the war against drugs will be unveiled in Bolton tomorrow.

The new CD-Rom computer game, developed by the town's anti-drugs team, will warn residents - both young and old - of the dangers of drugs.

And the country's new 'Drugs Tsar' Keith Hellawell above will launch the 'Experiment 22' CD at the Reebok Stadium.

Mr Hellawell, who was Chief Constable of West Yorkshire for five years until his new appointment, said: "I am happy to be launching this CD-Rom which looks exciting and enjoyable, and should reach out to young people.

"I am undertaking a nationwide consultation and fact-finding exercise as I work on the country's new drugs strategy for the Millennium.

"Evaluation of projects like this and their effect on their users is something I am looking at closely."

The CD-Rom game was developed by Bolton's Drugs Action Team - including input from the police, local authority and probation service - as part of a Government campaign.

A group of Bolton youngsters, aged between 10 and 18 have also helped to create the game, and pupils from Withins School 'road-tested' the CD.

Players are taken into the future where they are shown six characters whose lives are at risk.

They have to battle around obstacles, solve riddles and puzzles and travel through time to free the six.

It also gives answers to the questions most commonly asked about drugs and a section on the police and the law.

Bernard Knight, chairman of Bolton DAT, said: "We have to get the anti-drugs message across in a way which young people will take notice and, hopefully, benefit from the information and the warnings it contains. We are delighted Mr Hellawell has come to Bolton to endorse the project."

The CD-Rom will be made available to all schools in Bolton and it's planned to market it nationwide as part of the national anti-drugs campaign.

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