A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
MOST people would agree that some drugs are worse than others: heroin is probably considered to be more dangerous than marijuana, for instance. Because governments formulate criminal and social policies based upon classifications of harm, a new study published by the Lancet on November 1st makes interesting reading. Researchers led by Professor David Nutt, a [...]
Heavy drinking is increasing among the top 10 per cent of drinkers in Australia but the remaining 90 per cent of the population is drinking less, a study reveals. University of NSW researcher Michael Livingston said the finding could explain sharp increases in alcohol-related harm such as assaults and hospital presentations for intoxication, despite average [...]
A few months ago I wrote a piece highlighting the different rates of ADHD diagnosis in Australia compared to those in France. It appeared that ADHD could be something of an “Aussie thing.” Last weekend, I read an article in the Sydney Morning Herald that highlighted the risks associated with ADHD medication, and rates [...]
Some women are continuing to drink alcohol while pregnant despite warnings from medical experts, research shows. via Pregnant women continuing to drink alcohol despite warnings from medical experts - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).
Synthetic drugs will be outlawed in NSW under new laws that carry jail terms of up to two years and fines of more than $2000. The drug believed to have contributed to the death of Sydney student Henry Kwan is banned under the new legislation. The NSW government said the laws are the first of [...]
Parents who provide alcohol to someone else's child, thus jeopardising that child's mental development, display an abhorrent lack of competency, not just as a parent but as a member of society, as a human being. There is no excuse for such a crime. Parents who do such a thing should face several years in prison. [...]
People who are addicted to pornography show similar brain activity to alcoholics or drug addicts, a study has revealed. MRI scans of test subjects who admitted to compulsive pornography use showed that the reward centres of the brain reacted to seeing explicit material in the same way as an alcoholic’s might on seeing a drinks [...]
Below are some ways to tell if your teen may need mental health treatment. Mood swings. How can you decipher a moody teen from a true set of mood swings that indicate mental illness? You know your child better than anyone else. Trust that you can recognize a shift in mood that is out of character [...]
Eighty per cent of adult smokers start smoking before 18 years of age, at an average age of 15 years. (1) Young people assume that they will stop before they experience any serious health problems. However, nicotine dependence can develop very quickly and most regular teenage smokers are soon unable to quit, often before they [...]
Most adult smokers begin smoking during adolescence. They quickly become addicted and most struggle to quit for decades afterwards. Prevention in the early years can prevent this battle from even starting. Here are 5 strategies that can help: 1. Avoid that first cigarette Young people vastly underestimate the addictive potential of smoking and think [...]
