A social enterprise providing education and information to protect and enhance the mental health of young people
It's difficult to not drink in Australia, and if anything, it's even harder for teens. Adolescence is a time of desperately wanting to fit in and be accepted, and many teens see drinking as one of the easiest ways to achieve this. On the other hand, parents (and other adults responsible for teens) are generally [...]
Before attending a skittles parties, teenagers raid their parent's medicine cabinets and get their hands on as much medication as they can. At the party, they pool the prescription and over-the-counter drugs they've gathered into a communal bowl. Partygoers then take handfuls of pills, often with alcohol to get high. The parties, also known as [...]
A Californian dad went a little too far when he tried to win the 'cool dad' contest by hosting a wild party for his teenage daughter. Jeff Lake, 48, was arrested by San Diego police, for hosting a party where underage people drink alcohol. The birthday party was in celebration of Olivia turning 18, and boasted [...]
Here is a snapshot of the lives of many teenagers in the last week and what they have consumed and where they have got it from. Cigarettes - Who smokes? One in twenty 12- to-15-year-olds and more than one in ten 16-to-17-year-old Australian students are current smokers but these numbers are lower than past figures, [...]
You are sending a very strong message to your child when you agree to provide alcohol to minors. Most importantly, you are telling them to ignore the law - alcohol is an illegal drug for those under the age of eighteen. The laws are different across the country with New South Wales having the strictest [...]
Police in capital cities around Australia and New Zealand are tonight preparing for a weekend of high-visibility policing aimed at reducing alcohol fuelled violence. The two day blitz titled Operation Unite will start tonight at 6pm, and will focus on tackling alcohol fuelled crime and anti-social behaviour, especially violence. Thousands of extra police will be [...]
A study of 1,200 people has found that half of parents believe 15 to 17 year olds should be allowed to consume alcohol at home under parental supervision. The study by a national health insurance provider found that Western Australian parents were the most in favour of allowing under-age drinking. Dr Christine Bennett, who worked [...]
It is important to tell your children that if they are in doubt, they should not hesitate to call for medical assistance. It’s hard to be too specific here as it’s not always easy to say what constitutes a ‘medical emergency’. Young people need to know that they won’t get in trouble for calling an [...]
In many cases, drinking too much alcohol will make you sick and you will stop drinking. There are many old wives’ tales about why someone vomits after drinking, but the real reason is quite simple- you’ve been poisoned. Your brain actually has specialised poison-control cells that detect when you have had too much alcohol and [...]
Over the years I have attended a number of Schoolies Week celebrations and although there have always been incidents, usually linked to excessive alcohol consumption, for the most part I have found the young people to be very well behaved and reasonably sensible. The most concerning aspect of the event is the social pressure on [...]
