Sports stars fight addiction

Emma Richards is backing the Sport Against Addiction campaign

Record-breaking yachtswoman Emma Richards is backing a new campaign to promote sport as a way of tackling drug and alcohol addiction.

Research charity Action on Addiction is launching its Sport Against Addiction initiative to raise awareness of the positive effect sport can have on addicts.

The 28-year-old yachtswoman from the Isle of Wight last week became the first woman and the youngest person to complete the 29,000-mile Around Alone round the world race.

Other celebrities attending Tuesday's campaign launch include Olympic rowing hero Matthew Pinsent, athletes Roger Black and Fatima Whitbread, Olympic gold medallist skater Robin Cousins, cricketer Mike Atherton, champion runner turned politician Seb Coe, swimmer David Wilkie and snooker player John Virgo.

Professor John Strang, director of research for Action on Addiction, said: "There are more people becoming addicted to drugs and drink - roughly one in five of all 11 to 15-year-olds in the UK have taken drugs in the past year.

"Worryingly, the number of units of alcohol per week being drunk by young people has doubled since 1990."

The charity says that research has shown that regular participation in sport is highly effective in preventing addiction or helping people overcome it.

But 40% of teenage boys and 60% of teenage girls do not carry out the recommended one hour physical activity a day.