Term 1 2026 - Parents
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Dear *|FNAME|*,

Welcome to our first newsletter edition for 2026! We hope that you are settling in well to another new school year!

In this edition, you'll find details about our upcoming webinar on tobacco and vaping industry strategies that promote youth vaping in Australia, plus our latest factsheet looking at the importance of physical activity to your teen's health and wellbeing.
Positive Choices is now officially live on LinkedIn! Follow us for updates on the latest research and evidence-based drug education resources, relevant news and events, plus helpful tips for parents! You can also find us on Facebook and X via the links below: 
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Today is International Family Drug Support Day (24th February) which highlights the challenging yet critical role of families in supporting a loved one with problems related to alcohol or other drug use.

If you're struggling to cope with your child's drug or alcohol use, you are not alone and help is available. Visit our "Where to get help" page to find support options for affected family members.
TOBACCO AND VAPING INDUSTRY TACTICS REVEALED IN NEW WEBINAR!
Are we witnessing the same playbook of manipulation, misinformation and political lobbying used by the tobacco industry to attract a new generation of Australian young people to vaping? 

Register now for our free webinar on Wednesday 29th April at 12pm Sydney time!

Presented by Dr Christina Watts, a Research Fellow at the University of Sydney's Daffodil Centre, in this 1-hour session you will learn about:
  1. Evidence of how the tobacco and vaping industries interfere with public health efforts
  2. The tactics used by these industries to undermine tobacco control, shape public narratives and delay regulation
  3. How the tobacco and vaping industries position themselves as partners in “harm reduction” while expanding their market among young people
  4. A recent case study on how these industries have responded to Australia’s vaping regulation reforms.
REGISTER HERE
HOW CAN PARENTS AND FAMILIES HELP TEENS KEEP PHYSICALLY ACTIVE?
Physical activity is crucial to young people’s health and wellbeing. Yet despite the benefits of regular exercise and sport participation, many young people aren't doing enough physical activity.

The most recent data shows that 78% of Australian students aged 11-14 years were not meeting the Australian physical activity guidelines' recommended 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

As a parent, you can play an important role in encouraging your child to keep physically active. Click below to read our new factsheet and find out what you can do.

 
LEARN MORE
RECENT HIGHLIGHT FROM US...
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES

What are the warning signs of alcohol and/or drug dependance?

This factsheet provides a list of signs that indicate a person may be dependent on alcohol or other drugs. If you’re worried that your child may be using alcohol/drugs, remember that effective support is available.
 

Behind the News High: Alcohol advertising rules in Australia

Despite alcohol advertising being regulated in Australia, studies have found that some young people, including teenagers, are still seeing a lot of advertisements for alcohol on social media. Share this video with your teen.
 

Parents & Teenagers Talk About Alcohol Use

Parents often find it difficult to navigate conversations with their teen about drug and alcohol use. Watch this video developed by Raising Children Network which demonstrates how parents can work together to address problematic behaviour.
 

Factsheet: What are opioids?

You've probably have heard about opioids in the media, but what exactly are they? Opioids are a broad range of drugs with different effects, uses, risks, and legality. This factsheet explains these differences and answers some common questions you might have.
 
RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND
TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
Check out these animations by NSW Health about smoking and vaping, developed with researchers at the Matilda Centre and Aboriginal young people!

Both videos show 
how smoking/vaping affects a young person's health, reasons for quitting, plus helpful tips on how to quit. You'll also find factsheets to go with each video with more information and where to get help.

To access these resources, visit "The Facts About Smoking" or "The Facts About Vaping" pages:
IN THE KNOW
We've been recognised as a Best Practice Example of digital prevention! The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's latest Drug and Alcohol Program Final Evaluation Report found that Positive Choices "strengthened community awareness of AOD prevention approaches and increased access to evidence-based resources." Full report here.
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 other parents and families within your networks, and encourage them to subscribe here.
 
If you have any feedback or questions, please contact Positive Choices via our contact form or by emailing info@positivechoices.org.au. We will do our best to get back to you within 3 business days.
Copyright © 2026 Positive Choices, All rights reserved.



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The Positive Choices newsletter is sent out once every term, and contains updates and information relating to the Positive Choices website. Recently published newsletters will take 48 hours to be listed on this page.