Free condoms have been slammed by a councillor as a waste of Wigan taxpayers' cash following complaints they are being used as water bombs.
Bryn's Gary Wilkes says he has been swamped in the last 12 months with calls from angry residents after the council's TIC TAC bus started to hand out free condoms to teenagers on Ashton Market.
The independent councillor says he is also concerned th
at Wigan's policy to give free condoms to under 19s is doing more harm than good because it is promoting under-age sex.
He said: "I have received complaints from residents regarding the misuse of condoms that are given out.
"They've been using them as balloons, filling them with water and using them as missiles.
"We need to do more than just hand out free condoms we need to ensure youngsters are getting the right advice.
"I don't expect the Wigan taxpayer is happy they're giving out free condoms, especially when they're being used as water balloons.
"As much as I want to make sure youngsters don't contract sexually transmitted diseases or have an unwanted pregnancy I think this policy is supporting underage sex.
"Society needs to ask itself some serious questions about under-age sex and under-age drinking and I think parents need to take more responsibility.
"We should be encouraging kids to keep their virginity for as long as possible."
Wigan has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in the country but it is improving.
More than 5,000 teenagers have used the TIC TAC bus since it first started and the Condom Card scheme provides young people under the age of 19 with quick, easy and confidential access to condoms and sexual health information.
A council spokesman said: "None of the staff involved with the scheme on Ashton Market have ever seen evidence this is actually happening and if they did receive evidence they would do their utmost to put a stop to it. Condoms aren't given out to just anyone who asks for them.
"They are given out in accordance with national guidelines after a consultation with those concerned. That consultation can take up to 45 minutes and it is not a case of just giving them out.
"This scheme is not about encouraging under-age sex but promoting safe sex and reducing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
"We appreciate people have moral views but we have a moral imperative to reduce teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
"The cost to the taxpayer of looking after teenagers who become pregnant is far, far higher than the cost of any local condom scheme."
The full article contains 443 words and appears in Wigan Evening Post newspaper.
