However, they never think about its dangers. The girls need the money, so they ignore their safety. They are willing to spend time with strangers for a few thousand dollars.

In my view, it is their greed that makes them sell their bodies. This problem will become worse, unless the government takes immediate action.

There should be education programmes to warn youngsters about the dangers of compensated dating. Parents should also keep an eye on their children to ensure they don't stray on the wrong path.

Ng Yee-lee, Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Tuen Mun)

Terrible truth about drug abuse

A recent survey has revealed a terrible truth. Growing numbers of schoolchildren get drugs from their parents or siblings.

In the survey, 19 per cent of drug-taking students said they had got drugs from brothers or sisters and 7.8 per cent from parents.

Children will be more tempted to try drugs if they have drug addicts in the family.

It was also found that most of the primary and secondary schools that took part in the survey had pupils who said they had taken drugs. We cannot close our eyes and ears and pretend nothing is happening. Children should enjoy their childhood, not spend it popping deadly pills.

The results of the survey also showed that current measures taken by the government to stop the spread of drug abuse may not be effective. Programmes that educate the public about drug abuse are useless if family members take drugs. We have to locate the drug abusers and give them support. The government should also build more drug rehabilitation centres for families.

What's more, boarding schools are good places for children to stay away from drugs. Christian Zheng Sheng College is one such example.

The school-based voluntary drug testing scheme has so far failed to find any drug abusers. I think drug tests should be made compulsory in all public schools in Hong Kong. Such a policy can persuade young drug takers to give up their habit.

We all have to work hand in hand if we want to fully eliminate drug abuse in the city.

Holly Kwan

Don't waste this precious resource

Water is a basic requirement in life, just like oxygen. We cannot survive without it.

Many Hongkongers are under the impression that we have an unlimited supply of this precious resource. If we do not change our habits, the city could suffer from water shortages in the near future. About 80 per cent of our freshwater requirements come from Guangdong's Dongjiang River. This means only about 20 per cent of the water comes from local reservoirs.

The government should build more reservoirs in Hong Kong. This is the best way to solve the problem.

I also suggest that we reuse water for different purposes. For example, water used for washing vegetables can be used for our plants. Most importantly, we have to consider whether it is necessary to use so much water.

Crystal Pun, Ju Ching Chu Secondary School (Tuen Mun)

Take good with bad and have a laugh

There's a popular saying: 'Laughter is the best medicine'. I think this is particularly suitable for Hong Kong, where life can be very hectic.

Locals are under a lot of pressure. Stress can lead to many problems, such as illness and even mental disorders.

Laughter can help people to relax and have a positive attitude towards life. You may ask: how can we laugh when we have so many things to worry about? The answer is simple. We should learn to be thankful for small mercies.

Employees who took a pay cut should think about young graduates who cannot find jobs. Those who went bankrupt are still better off than millions of starving people in developing countries.

We should learn to take the good with the bad and have a good laugh in the process.

If fact, it's not a bad idea to laugh for no reason at all.

Jenny Tsang, Gertrude Simon Lutheran College