Dear *|FNAME|*,
Welcome back to Term 2! The beginning of term can be a great time to touch base with your teenager about alcohol and other drugs to help protect them against alcohol use and related harms. Positive Choices is here to help you!
A quick reminder that National Families Week starts this Sunday 15th May - where we acknowledge the major role that families play in teaching, supporting and nurturing children!
As parents, we all want our teens to be happy, healthy and safe. In this newsletter, you'll find reliable and up-to-date information and resources such as practical tips for protecting your child against drug and alcohol related harms, as well at the latest information on e-cigarettes and vaping in young people.
Check out the Positive Choices parents and families portal for more information, resources and parenting tips:
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REGISTER FOR OUR UPCOMING WEBINAR!
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E-cigarettes have become one of the most hotly debated topics in recent years, and use among young people is rising rapidly. This webinar will be presented by Dr Emily Stocking from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. The webinar will:
- Give an overview of e-cigarette trends in Australia
- Summarise potentially effective interventions for schools
- Give an update on upcoming trials and resources
- Provide some brief tips for engaging in conversations about vaping with young people.
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Need to know more about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vaping before the webinar? This factsheet for parents and families provides information on what they are, how many young people are using them, as well as the immediate & long term health effects of vaping.
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RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES
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How parents can protect against drug and alcohol use and related harms.
It's important to recognise the impact that parents and families have on a teenager’s life and the decisions they make. With this in mind, check out this factsheet for useful tips on how you can protect your teen against drug and alcohol use + related harms.
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Raising your kids strong: deadly activities families can do together.
A supportive environment, good role models, and participation in cultural activities and sports are important in protecting young people from alcohol and other drug use. For some of the deadly activities that families can do together, click here.
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RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
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Have you visited the website for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities?
Positive Choices shares knowledge to help parents and families talk about alcohol and other drugs with young people. There are resources and information created with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to help young people stay strong and safe. Click here to check it out now!
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Adolescent drinking in Australia has declined since the early 2000s. A recent study looked at whether these declines continued into adulthood. They found adolescents that drank less continued to have lower levels of drinking and risky drinking up to the age of 24. Read more here.
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A recent government report by The Australian National University found use of nicotine e-cigarettes increases the risk of several adverse health outcomes, particularly in youth. These included taking up smoking, addiction, poisoning, seizures, burns & injuries (e.g. lung injury). Read the full report here.
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A recent study among >2,900 risky teen drinkers found that larger quantities of alcohol consumed increased the risk of harm to others. An increase of six Australian standard drinks increased the chance of harm perpetration by 15%. Learn more here.
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Do you know someone aged 16-25 with an interest in mental health, drug and alcohol research? We are looking for young people to take part in an anonymous online survey to help set priorities for future prevention research, exploring issues affecting youth mental health and substance use in Australia. To find out more, click here.
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ORDER YOUR FREE BOOKLETS!
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Looking for tips on how to talk to a young person about alcohol and other drugs? Want to learn more about ways that parents can protect against drug use and related harms? Order your FREE copy of the parents and families booklet today.
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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 other parents and families in your networks, and encourage them to subscribe here.
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