A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
Most parents know relatively little about alcohol and other drugs. They might have a bit of practical experience - usually in the form of vague memories from their teens or early twenties - but when it really comes down to it, most of the information they have has been obtained either through their friends of [...]
Malcolm had been using ecstasy for over eight years when I spoke to him. He had first used the drug when he was twenty years old after associating with a group of clubbers for almost twelve months. He had observed his group of friends using ecstasy and had decided to try it. When he asked [...]
Alcohol education group DrinkWise launched their latest campaign "Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix" yesterday, which aims to reduce under-age drinking with a focus on educating teens to wait for as long as possible before drinking. The campaign immediately came under fire for the influence alcohol companies have over it when professor Simon Chapman of Sydney [...]
Talk to your children about drugs as early and as often as possible. Make sure you speak to them about the range of drugs available, with an emphasis on those they are likely to come into contact with at their particular stage of development. For the very young, including primary school-aged children, most of the [...]
An online bullying survey for the NSW state government will close Friday after giving children the chance to tell of their bullying experiences. The survey is part of the state government’s inquiry in to bullying, focusing on collecting ideas and opinions from the youth. The responses will be used in a report which will later [...]
We know that by far one of the most important elements of a positive parent-child relationship is honesty and trust. When you ask your child a question about something they have done, you would like them to answer honestly. Doesn’t your child deserve the same respect? So if you have used drugs, what should you [...]
We are still finding out the best way for parents to introduce alcohol to their children. At present, the results of research are often contradictory. On the one hand, there is research to suggest that parents can have a positive influence on their child’s drinking behaviour by allowing them small amounts of alcohol and trusting [...]
It is vital you try to maintain a positive and open relationship with your child though the early years of high school. It’s not always going to be easy but the ability to communicate any concerns you may have about the activities they are involved with is essential. Children who feel they are able to [...]
Be a parent when it comes to parties, particularly for the first couple of years. Take an interest in where your kids are going and who they will be with, and do a little bit of parenting when it comes to finding out what type of party it will be and whether there will be [...]
If you are finding it difficult to raise the issue of mental health and cannabis, try talking about paranoia. Almost every child, regardless of whether they have had contact with cannabis or not, is aware that this is a side effect of using the drug. Although it may seem quite harmless, paranoia can actually be [...]
