Term 2 2023 - Teachers / Health Professionals *|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* View this email in your browser WELCOME TO OUR MAY E-NEWSLETTER Dear *|FNAME|*, Welcome to our Term 2 newsletter! In this newsletter, you'll find new evidence-based resources to deliver effective drug and alcohol education for your students or clients, including information on our upcoming webinar which looks at the influence that peers have on the mental health and substance use behaviours of young people. The Positive Choices portal also provides advice and information to help teachers, educators and health professionals talk to young people about drugs and alcohol. To access our factsheet with tips for improving how you communicate with them: VISIT POSITIVE CHOICES REGISTER FOR OUR UPCOMING WEBINAR! Adolescence is a time of significant biological, psychological, and social transformations. It is also a key time of social reorientation, with young people gradually spending more and more time with peers. This webinar will be presented by Dr Louise Birrell and Dr Jack Andrews from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. The webinar will: Examine trends in adolescent substance use and mental health. Explore the profound impact of peers on shaping mental health and substance use patterns among young people. Reveal new interventions attempting to harness the positive aspects of peer influence to improve outcomes among adolescents. REGISTER NOW RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS Recommended Program: The Illicit Project Check out our latest recommended program: The Illicit Project! A harm minimisation program for Year 10-12 school students that focuses on the neuroscience of substance use & mental health. Click here to access it for free! E-cigarettes and the Environment Littered e-cigarette packaging and devices are a growing environmental concern in Australia. Check out our latest blog post which looks at how disposable vapes are harming the environment. New "Respect Your Brain" videos! NSW Health have collaborated with The Matilda Centre on two new videos exploring the impacts of 1) vaping and 2) mixing alcohol & antidepressants on the developing brain. Access them here to share in your next PDHPE class! Helping young people to quit vaping Because vapes often contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can cause changes in our brain's reward pathways, it can be difficult to stop using them. This guide by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation provides tips for how you can support a young person to quit vaping. RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES 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. IN THE KNOW Did you know that Positive Choices is now a Healthdirect Information Partner? Through this partnership, we hope to contribute to Healthdirect's goal of improving access to health information and services for all Australians! Access our endorsed content here. A study published in Drug and Alcohol Review found that drug use was higher among Australian young people identifying as LGBTQIA than the general youth population, particularly among those who reported experiencing LGBTQIA-based prejudice, harassment and homelessness. A recent US study has revealed that teens overestimate how much their peers post about alcohol on social media. It also found they were more likely to use alcohol if they perceived that their friends were sharing alcohol-related content. Read more here. ORDER YOUR FREE BOOKLETS! Get your FREE copy of the teachers and schools booklet for more information about school-based drug prevention. You can also order a student version that can be used in your health education classes! ORDER NOW 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. Copyright © 2024 Positive Choices, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. 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.