Papers assess report on drug use

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The consumption of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, particularly among young people, occupies some of Thursday's papers.

The Telegraph focuses on a report by government advisors calling for drastic action to stop the spread of heavy drinking and smoking by young people.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs says UK children have some of the worst alcohol and tobacco problems in Europe.

The Guardian says the report marks a major departure in the 30-year history of the influential drugs advisory body.

For the first time, it has admitted tobacco and alcohol cause far more harm than cannabis and other illegal drugs, says the paper.

In a very rare alliance, the Mail and the Morning Star take the same stance on their front page stories.

Both papers claim outrage that Manchester City Council has banned a group of families from protesting outside the forthcoming annual Labour party conference.

The Military Families Against the War, including bereaved relatives from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, cannot pitch their tents for health and safety reasons, says the Labour-run council.

But the Mail is sceptical. Whatever happened to democracy, it asks.

After Wednesday's fruitless meeting in Belgium, the paper has some harsh criticism for Nato members' reluctant to send more troops to Afghanistan.

If members continue to dishonour their commitments, the Mail says, Nato will have only itself to blame when its critics ask: is there any point to it?

But the Telegraph reports the French and German governments defending their commitment to Nato operations.

Germany has 8,000 soldiers on various missions and France has 14,000 troops abroad of which 8,000 are in multinational forces.

The Independent's front page story is an apparent admission by Foreign Office minister Kim Howells that Tony Blair should have called for a ceasefire in Lebanon earlier.

The Times reports that a live audiorecording of the first theatre production of John Osborne's "The Entertainer" has been discovered.

The performance at the Palace Theatre in London, starring Lawrence Olivier, was taped by EMI in 1957 with the intention of releasing it on an LP.

But it was lost and it has now been digitally remastered for CD release.

No such longevity for fans of BBC comedy Extras, who may be disappointed to read in the Sun that Ricky Gervais has said this series will be the last.