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WELCOME TO OUR FEBRUARY E-NEWSLETTER
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Dear *|FNAME|*,
Welcome back to another school year! With Term 1 now underway, you may be seeking effective drug and alcohol education resources for your classroom. Perhaps you would like some additional resources to supplement the plans you have already made for the year ahead?
Whichever the case, Positive Choices is your key point of reference for evidence-based programs and resources that are curriculum-aligned, engaging for students and easy-to-use for teachers and school staff.
In this newsletter, we explore emerging trends around the use of nicotine based products among young people - including e-cigarettes and most recently, nicotine pouches. You'll also find several other resources sharing trusted information and tips so that you can deliver more effective drug and alcohol education to young people.
The Positive Choices portal for teachers and schools provides advice and information to help you talk to your students about drugs and alcohol. To access these resources:
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HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD
AND HELP IMPROVE POSITIVE CHOICES!
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Teachers and school staff: we need your feedback to help improve Positive Choices. Tell us what resources you find most useful, what could be improved, and what you want to see more of.
We're looking for Australian teachers and school staff to complete an online survey about our online evidence-based Australian drug education portal, Positive Choices (positivechoices.org.au).
The survey will take between 20-30 minutes and for participating, you’ll receive a $20 Prezzee gift voucher! Your input will help us provide more relevant and trustworthy resources, so that you can deliver more effective drug education for your students.
To access the survey, please click the link below:
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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
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New factsheet: Medical Stimulants and Study Drugs
Some students may think about using medical stimulants (or 'study drugs') to keep up with more demanding academic requirements. Yet, there are risks of using these drugs without a medical reason. Our new factsheet can help you to discuss this topic with a young person.
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Talking to a young person about
e-cigarettes/vaping
Teachers and school staff can provide invaluable support to young people wanting more information about vaping, or e-cigarette use. Check out this factsheet for practical tips on how you can approach these conversations effectively.
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Why is drug and alcohol prevention
important?
Research shows that the earlier a young person starts to use drugs and alcohol, the more likely they are to experience problems with school performance, mental health, substance use and the law. This factsheet looks at the role of effective prevention efforts.
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Where can I find trusted school-based prevention programs?
If you'd like to deliver effective drug and alcohol education this school year, click here to access our list of evidence-based programs recommended by Positive Choices. Teachers and school staff can sort by drug type, year level, curriculum + more.
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RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people have indicated that schools and teachers are their preferred sources for information about substance use. By promoting cultural identity and a positive school environment, teachers can create a school culture in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students feel welcome. This factsheet offers ways that you can do this to help reduce alcohol and drug related harms.
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Nicotine pouches have been gaining widespread attention in recent months. Like e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches often have bright coloured packaging and flavours that appeal to young people. Our new blog post reveals what the latest research says about their use and potential risks.
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You may have heard in the media about health professionals using drugs such as MDMA and psilocybin as a potential tool in mental health treatments. But are they legal? And are they safe? Our recent blog post looks at psychedelic assisted therapies and key changes to Australia's regulations.
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Generation Vape and Cancer Council NSW's latest January report assessing the impacts of Australia’s vape laws has revealed a rise in adolescents who have never vaped and never smoked, a decline in vape purchases, and increased awareness of vaping harm. Read the full report here.
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PARTICIPATE IN OUR RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY!
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Researchers at the Matilda Centre are developing an eHealth module focussed on healthy relationship and consent education. They are now seeking expressions of interest from PDHPE teachers for 20-30 of their Year 10 students to take part in focus groups to co-design this module. Students will go in the draw to win 1 of 2 $100 gift vouchers per school. To register your interest in getting involved, please complete the short EOI here.
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JOIN US FOR THE 2025 THEMHS FORUM!
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Registrations are now open for TheMHS Forum 2025! TheMHS Learning Network will be bringing this year's highly anticipated event to Mercure Sydney from April 8-9. Featuring an outstanding line-up of speakers, you'll meet those who are making a difference in youth mental health through areas such as research, lived experience, young people led initiatives + more. But be quick, spaces are limited! To register or to find out more, click here.
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OUR NEW TEACHER AND STUDENT BOOKLETS
ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE!
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We've recently updated our online Teacher and Student booklets. In both new editions, you'll find the latest drug and alcohol information including a dedicated section on e-cigarettes and vaping! To access the free online flipbook and PDF of the Teacher booklet and Student booklet, click here.
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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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