TOM CRUISE - CRUISE TURNS SAVIOUR FOR DRUG-DEPENDANT LITTLE GIRL

Movie star TOM CRUISE has used his scientology beliefs to help ween a friend's little girl off mind-altering drugs she was taking to control her Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).

Cruise, a fervent anti-prescription drug campaigner, insists medics were wrong to put a three year old girl on control pills four years ago (01) and he has spent much of 2005 helping her parents ween her off them - with amazing results.

Cruise admits he used his scientology teachings to help him with his efforts.

He says, "I recently helped a family get their daughter off drugs. We stepped the child off drugs, got her vitamins and food.

"She's calmed down now and she's grown seven inches in about four months."

The movie star admits the weening process was far from easy: "I have an easier time stepping someone off heroin than I do of these psychotropic drugs... They can become suicidal, so you've got to do it under a doctor and vitamins because any drug you put in your system is a poison."

And he reveals this isn't the first time he's used scientology to ween friends off mind-altering drugs - and he's glad when fans tell him how his campaigning has helped them.

He adds, "People have thanked me. I get so many letters and people thanking me for their children, for themselves."