A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
When it comes to substance abuse like smoking or abuse of intoxicating drugs, it is very difficult to determine what a “safe” limit of exposure is. Quite often, the initial exposure to mood altering substances like nicotine occurs during the teenage years. The period of adolescence is marked by a tendency towards risk-taking behavior which [...]
HSC students are taking illegally obtained prescription medication used to treat ADHD to help cram for their final school exams, which start tomorrow. The Sun-Herald spoke to students from five schools across Sydney last week who admitted to using the medication, saying it improved their focus during study. But medical experts warn that they are [...]
THE legal drinking age should be lifted to 25 to stop young people becoming addicted to alcohol and limit the violence associated with drunkenness, the head of the nation's peak medical organisation says. AMA president Dr Steve Hambleton said the human brain was still developing until the age of 25 and exposure to alcohol earlier [...]
When a person performs an act of self harm, the medical professional's first priority is to get him or her safely past that immediate event. But research published Monday evening in the British medical journal 'The Lancet' finds that people who harm themselves — by intentionally injuring or poisoning themselves, with or without suicidal intent, [...]
Major alcohol companies are consciously directing their advertising campaigns at young people. Coming up with campaign/product names like Pom Pom, Electric Pink, Hot Pink, and Skinnygirl Cocktails; they are designed to attract young people. Is it time to tell these companies to back off and leave children alone? The recently formed Alcohol Advertising Review Board [...]
AUSTRALIA'S peak medical body has censured the social media giant Facebook for allowing alcohol companies to target children. The Australian Medical Association released its report yesterday into the alcohol industry's growing profile in social media circles. Within hours of the release of the report, Facebook representatives sought a meeting with the association to discuss their [...]
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) held an alcohol summit in Canberra on Wednesday, examining the ways young Australians are wooed into drinking. The association fears the industry is grooming youngsters to drink by using social media sites such as Facebook, sponsoring sports teams and producing alcohol-flavoured foods. Jim Beam came up with bourbon-tasting chips to [...]
Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has condemned the latest cigarette company advertising - "it's what's on the inside that counts" - as the ultimate sick joke. Imperial Tobacco's new motto, sent in material to retailers for its Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes, suggests the plain packaging doesn't matter because everyone knows what's on the inside. via Plain package [...]
Teenagers are less likely to smoke and drink alcohol but are far more physically inactive than a decade ago, new statistics show. A report on health risks released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found that smoking was down in all age groups. Teenagers were the only age group less likely to [...]
Alcohol kills more kids than all illegal drugs combined. Underage drinking and the consequences of juvenile alcohol use are serious issues. In an effort to reduce underage drinking and its negative consequences, The Council on Alcohol and Drugs has launched the www.stopalcoholunder21.org website. via ATLANTA, Sept. 4, 2012: The Council on Alcohol and Drugs announces: [...]
