A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
A survey of almost 3000 students has found 60% of girls in year 12 admit to binge drinking three or more times in the last fortnight, and half say they have had sex. Most alarmingly, 38% of the girls surveyed said they had endured unwanted sex. The most common reason for unwanted sex for women [...]
Here are the top ten “outs” that I have collected from teenagers over the years. Not all of them are great, but they cover a range of different ways of saying ‘no’, including excuses (often using information they have picked up in drug education lessons at school) and delaying or putting off the situation. ‘I’m [...]
Teenagers with parents open to talking about their drug and alcohol experiences are less likely to use drugs themselves, an American study has found. The survey found 63% of the teens aged 15-18 believed they would be more responsible with drugs and alcohol after hearing their parent’s stories. Over half of the teens said they [...]
I’m a firm believe that you should start talking about drugs the minute you start giving them to your child. We live in a world where pharmaceutical companies have been able to convince us that for every problem we have, there is a drug that can fix it. If you are depressed, you take a [...]
• Drink spiking does occur. • If your drink is salty, chemical-tasting, or gritty, stop drinking. • Spiking is just as likely to occur in a home or party as it is in a nightclub or bar. • It is more likely to be carried out by someone you know, or have recently stuck up [...]
A Western Australian Government campaign will aim to stem rising levels of teen drinking following a survey of teenage drug and alcohol use. The Australian Students Alcohol and Drug Survey covered over 2,500 students aged 12-17. The survey found that 40 per cent of the students had consumed alcohol in the past month, and 27 [...]
We should never underestimate the impact that peer pressure can have on our children, particularly when it comes to alcohol, but far more important at this time is ‘social pressure’ or influence. This is something that we rarely talk about, but it is far more likely to affect teenagers’ behaviour as it is much more [...]
A study published last week in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research added additional weight to the Australian Government's recommendation for parents to avoid giving alcohol to children under 15 years of age. The study looked at over 6,000 Australian twins and found that the earlier the children had their first drink, the more likely they [...]
There are parents who will look at some questions and be concerned that by addressing them with their child they might be seen as condoning their use of alcohol or tactfully encouraging risky behaviour. Of course you don’t want to normalise risky behaviour, so how you present this sort of information is of paramount importance. [...]
In a disturbing new trend, children are inhaling noxious oxide in an attempt to get a high. Canisters of the gas are legally available in many supermarkets and newsagents, and there are no laws against children purchasing it unless they are likely to be using it in an attempt to get a high. Shops are [...]
