Click on the green icon to see Guardian deputy editor Tracy Powell on the panel

Or click here to see police chief constable Steve Green

Click here to see alcohol minister Vernon Coaker MP

Click here for four representative of the areas drug and alcohol support network


Fifteen students, aged between 15 and 18, were selected from schools across Bassetlaw to question key community players over the issue of alcohol misuse.

The forum was launched by MP John Mann and aimed to challenge people's perceptions by addressing the issue of how alcohol is used among young people today.

He hopes the debate will kickstart a vital process to provide crucial information that can tackle the issue at a national level. And he described the students taking part in the forum as an 'immense credit to the area'.

"I was hugely impressed by these young people who were prepared to give up their time and energy to get involved – it gave me great hope for the future," he said. "They gave top-notch questioning, better than anything I have ever seen in Parliament. It was honest, intelligent and incisive."

For the past two months students have been interviewing fellow pupils at their respective schools and colleges to compile an in-depth survey on alcohol misuse.

And on Friday they put representatives from different areas of the community on the spot. Alcohol Minister Vernon Coaker, Chief Constable of Notts Police Stephen Green, Kate Davies of Notts Drug Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) and the Guardian's deputy editor Tracy Powell, were among those interviewed.

The panel faced tough questioning on a range of topics from the blatant promotion of alcohol at the youth market to the daily peer pressure faced by young people. Mr Mann said he admired the seriousness with which the students tackled the panel, adding that their thorough preparation enabled a meaningful debate to take place.

"It is testimony to their maturity and confidence how panel responded to them, and took them seriously," he said.

He added that the forum was comparable to the Heroin Inquiry, which took place in Worksop over five years ago to address the drug epidemic that was plaguing the town.

Back then, he wanted to force all areas of the community to wake up to the reality of the situation, which saw many lives destroyed and crime statistics soar.

"As with the Heroin Inquiry, we had no pre-judged ideas of how the discussion would turn out," he said.

"The forum was to ascertain what problems are both caused and faced by young people with regard to alcohol abuse and present them to the relevant government departments."

The findings from last week's forum are currently being compiled and are expected to be published in two months time. "I plan on presenting the findings to the Prime Minister to tell him what needs to be done to address this problem for future generations," he said.

He thanked the experts who took part in the panel, giving particular credit to the Guardian for highlighting the issue.

"It was a credit to the journalism of the Worksop Guardian for the way it dealt with the forum," he said. "Many of the students said to me how good Tracy Powell was in answering their questions, but giving them food for thought at the same time. It was an invaluable process in both directions," he added.

"I hope the Guardian will continue to work like this in the future to engage young people."