A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Most young people in the youth justice system have been found to come from “troubled” backgrounds. However, many people with similar backgrounds don’t ever end up in youth justice services. Knowing why people with troubled childhoods may be more likely to engage in criminal activity is necessary to inform the development of effective prevention and [...]
Recent media reports have suggested a rise in a dangerous new party drug known as “monkey dust”. This is a slang name for the drug MDPV (3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone), as well as other members of the chemical class known as “synthetic cathinones”, or “bath salts”. The effects of monkey dust are similar to other stimulants such as [...]
Young people “laugh” at vague warnings issued by the police or politicians about the dangers of drugs even as five of their peers have died at music festivals in the past five months. Paul Dillon, the founder of Drug and Alcohol Research and Training Australia, said it was incredibly difficult to change people’s minds about [...]
Some 80% of young people will experience a traumatic event by the time they become an adult. Rates of exposure to trauma peak during adolescence. The stress from traumatic events can result in a loss of interest in school, friends, hobbies, and life in general. The types of traumatic events include a wide range of [...]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration next week will issue a ban on the sale of fruit and candy flavored electronic cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations, an agency official said, in a move to counter a surge in teenage use of e-cigarettes. The ban means only tobacco, mint and menthol flavors can be [...]
Vaping may be as hard on the lungs as conventional smoking, according to new research. Flavorings in e-cigarettes may be particularly harmful to the lungs by triggering inflammation, scientists have warned. Battery-powered vapes, like the Juul, are promoted as a tool to help smokers quit the habit. But even short term use causes as much [...]
Teenagers using cannabis are causing long-lasting damage to their developing brains, a Canadian study suggests. It found the impact on thinking skills, memory and behaviour was worse than that of teenage drinking. The researchers, from the University of Montreal, urged teenagers to delay their use of cannabis for as long as they felt able. The [...]
Almost 60 per cent of NSW voters support pill testing at music festivals despite the state government's refusal to consider it, exclusive new polling reveals one week after two people died at a dance party. The Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, last week set up an expert panel to investigate how to make music festivals safer after [...]
The New South Wales Premier has vowed to do everything she can to shut down Defqon.1, after two people died in suspected overdoses at the popular Sydney music festival on Saturday night. Police said a 23-year-old man from western Sydney and a 21-year-old woman from Victoria died in Nepean Hospital after collapsing at music festival [...]
Teenagers who smoke and drink alcohol are causing visible damage to their arteries by the age of 17, a study has revealed. Tests showed stiffening of the arteries had begun by this relatively young age. These physical changes have been linked with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel problems, such as stroke and [...]
