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WELCOME TO OUR AUGUST E-NEWSLETTER
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Dear *|FNAME|*,
Welcome to our Term 3 newsletter! In this edition, you'll find a wealth of trusted resources and accurate, up-to-date information to help you talk to young people about alcohol and other drugs.
With synthetic opioids such as nitazenes appearing more frequently in the media, we've developed a new factsheet unpacking the different types of opioids and their associated effects/risks.
We also recently teamed up with Cracks in the Ice – an online toolkit providing trusted, evidence-based information about crystal methamphetamine for the Australian community – to deliver a webinar on methamphetamine use in youth. In case you missed it, you can access the full recording + slides here.
You'll find our latest blog post on young people's transition from high school to tertiary education and its potential impact on mental health and alcohol-related behaviours. Learn what teachers and school staff can do to support students in navigating this change.
To access our other evidence-based resources for teachers, educators and health professionals interested in keeping young people safe from alcohol and other drug related harms, check out our "Teachers & Schools" page on the Positive Choices website by clicking the link below:
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PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE POSITIVE CHOICES WEBSITE AND HELP US MAKE IMPROVEMENTS!
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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.
Teenage drug and alcohol use is changing in Australia, including the use of e-cigarettes which is rapidly rising among young people.
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). Your input will help us provide more relevant and trustworthy resources, so that you can deliver more effective drug education for your students.
The survey will take between 20-30 minutes and for participating, you’ll receive a $20 Prezzee gift voucher!
To access the survey, please click the link below:
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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
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New Factsheet: What are opioids?
You may have heard about opioids in the media recently, but what exactly are they? Opioids are a broad range of drugs with different effects, uses, risks, and legality. Our new factsheet explains these differences and answers common questions.
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Access our latest webinar on-demand!
Missed our recent webinar with Cracks in the Ice? Watch the full recording as Dr Alexandre Guerin presents new evidence around the health, functional & cognitive outcomes associated with methamphetamine use in youth + new treatments for young people.
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Factsheet: Choosing school-based prevention resources
When selecting drug and alcohol education resources to use in the classroom, how do you know what's appropriate for your students? It's important to consider the research that shows whether they will be effective. For tips on what to look out for and what to avoid, click here.
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Recommended Program: Aussie Optimism Program
Want to improve your student's mental health and wellbeing? Aussie Optimism offers a range of classroom programs to help teachers build resilience among students from Kindergarten to Year 8, while reducing their likelihood of alcohol and tobacco use. Access it here.
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RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
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A trusted teacher or school staff member can be the first person a student talks to about alcohol and other drug use.
It's important that you're comfortable responding to them if they come to you and that you can refer them to other sources of help available in your area. This factsheet contains some tips on how to successfully talk to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth about alcohol and other drug use.
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While transitioning from high school to tertiary education can be an exciting time for students, it can also bring about new stressors that may impact their mental health and behaviours around alcohol. Our new blog post suggests ways that school staff can help support a smooth transition for young people.
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A recent study involving students, parents, and staff from high schools in Western Sydney, Australia revealed differing concerns about adolescent vaping. Students were concerned about nicotine dependancy and vaping to cope with stress, while staff were concerned about the impact of vaping on students’ learning and behaviour. Read more.
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PARTICIPATE IN THIS STUDY OPPORTUNITY!
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Are you a secondary school staff member or teacher? Involved in health promotion at your school? Researchers at the Matilda Centre need your help to better understand how schools approach student health and wellbeing - including issues such as vaping, healthy eating, mental health and physical activity. Eligible participants who complete a survey will earn a chance to win one of 3x gift vouchers! To register your interest, 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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