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WELCOME TO OUR FEBRUARY E-NEWSLETTER
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Dear *|FNAME|*,
Welcome back to another school year!
In this edition, you'll find information on our FREE upcoming webinar which unpacks the latest trends in e-cigarette use among Australian adolescents and provides practical strategies for how schools can address this issue.
Positive Choices have also published a new factsheet which can help you prepare for having conversations with young people about vaping/e-cigarettes, so that you can direct them to appropriate information and support.
Plus, you'll find additional evidence-based resources, new research, and training opportunities for teachers and health professionals interested in keeping young people healthy, happy, and safe from alcohol and other drug related harms.
Can't find what you're looking for? Visit the Positive Choices "Teachers and Schools" page below to access our other recommended drug education resources and prevention programs:
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REGISTER FOR OUR UPCOMING WEBINAR!
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Want to gain practical strategies for preventing vaping harms among young people? Join us for our free, upcoming webinar on Wednesday 21st February at 12pm AEDT!
This webinar will be presented by Postdoctoral Researcher Dr Amy-Leigh Rowe and Research Assistant Ms Annabelle Hawkins from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, who currently work on the OurFutures Vaping study: the first rigorous evaluation of a school-based e-cigarette prevention program in Australia. Attendees will learn about:
- Recent trends in e-cigarette use in Australia
- Research into school-based prevention, including what does and doesn't work.
- Practical strategies that can be applied within your school.
- Information about the OurFutures Vaping Prevention program
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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
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NEW factsheet: Talking to a young person about e-cigarettes/vaping
For young people wanting more information about vaping, or needing support for their own e-cigarette use, conversations with teachers and health professionals are pivotal. Our new factsheet provides helpful tips for how you can approach these conversations effectively.
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Teachers' Education Review (TER) Podcast feature episode with Positive Choices
Our feature episode with the TER Podcast is available now! Tune into The Matilda Centre's vaping expert Dr Emily Stockings as she explores the growing issue of e-cigarette use among school students + how Positive Choices resources can help teachers tackle this issue.
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Upcoming webinar: The referral, assessment and diagnostic process for FASD
Learning with FASD are hosting a FREE webinar for educators on the 20th February at 12:00pm AEDT. The team will be joined by clinicians from The CICADA Centre NSW. The webinar will include: An overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), signs of FASD at school, and the referral, assessment, and diagnostic process. To register your interest, click here.
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Recommended program: Botvin LifeSkills Training
Teachers and school staff: looking for an effective drug prevention program that's curriculum-aligned and supported by over 20 published studies? Botvin LifeSkills Training program provides young people with the necessary skills to deal with tricky situations that expose teens to substance use and other health risks.
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RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
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Support and empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to choose vape free. Lung Foundation Australia, Na Joomelah and the National Best Practice Unit Tackling Indigenous Smoking (NBPU TIS) have recently developed a vaping resource package, including 3x short animated videos and an accompanying factsheet to help young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people learn the facts about vaping. Access it here.
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A study led by The Matilda Centre's Dr Jillian Halladay found that school sports participation, greater physical activity, and feelings of belonging were associated with lower substance use and mental health symptoms among Canadian teens aged 14-18. Read the full article here.
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A recent study led by researchers at The Matilda Centre found that e-cigarette use among Australian adolescents was associated with perceived use of e-cigarettes by friends/peers. The study also found it was linked to involvement in bullying, either as a perpetrator or a victim. Read more here.
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PARTICIPATE IN OUR STUDY / TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES!
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Do you have any thoughts about how we can make digital health interventions, like health apps, more engaging for young people? Researchers from the Matilda Centre are seeking high school teachers and health workers to join an Expert Advisory Group to help with a research study about youth engagement with mobile health apps. If you live in Australia and would like to participate in this study, click here to learn more.
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Are you looking for evidence-based and innovative ways to improve your students’ mental health and wellbeing? OurFutures are currently recruiting Australian schools to trial their new & improved Mental Health program aimed at improving Year 8 students’ mental health literacy and wellbeing. To get your school involved, please email sasha.bailey@sydney.edu.au. Be quick – applications close Tuesday 27th February!
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Last chance to register for PreVenture's upcoming training workshops in March! Become a PreVenture facilitator to deliver evidence-based personality-focused interventions for teens that promote mental health and reduce drug harms. Training is scheduled for Friday 1st March and Friday 8th March (Online: via Zoom). If you’re interested in attending, click here and register by this Friday 16th February to secure a spot!
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ORDER YOUR FREE BOOKLETS!
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Get your FREE copy of the teachers and schools booklet for evidence-based information on how to talk to students about alcohol and other drugs. You can also order a student version that can be shared in your health education classes!
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The aim of this e-newsletter is to provide our subscribers with information about drug prevention resources, and to share relevant news and events.
Please help us spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to teachers and educators within your networks, as well as health professionals interested in drug prevention for young people, and encourage them to subscribe here.
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