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POSITIVE CHOICES E-NEWSLETTER - MAY 2024
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Dear *|FNAME|*,
With Term 2 now in full swing, Positive Choices is here to support you with evidence-based resources for teachers and health professionals looking to deliver effective alcohol and drug education to young people.
In this newsletter, you'll find factsheets which can help you work with students to avoid negative influences when it comes to alcohol and other drugs, whether these present themselves within the school environment or through exposure to media depicting drug and alcohol use.
We've included the latest evidence-based resources about e-cigarette use, including 2x animated videos and accompanying factsheets developed with Aboriginal young people which explore the harms of vaping and smoking.
We're also running an online survey asking teachers and school staff how we can improve Positive Choices website! By completing the survey, you'll receive a $20 gift voucher for your time. To participate or to learn more, click here.
To access our many other resources for teachers, educators and health professionals interested in drug and alcohol prevention for young people:
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COMPLETE OUR SURVEY AND
RECEIVE A $20 GIFT VOUCHER!
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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 are looking for Australian teachers and school staff working with teenagers to complete an online survey about our online evidence-based Australian drug education portal, Positive Choices (positivechoices.org.au). Your feedback will help us provide more relevant and trustworthy resources, so that you can deliver more effective drug education to your students.
The survey will take between 20-30 minutes and for participating, you’ll receive a $20 Prezzee gift voucher! Click the link below to get started:
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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS
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NEW factsheet: Media and marketing’s influence on drug and alcohol use
Young people can be exposed to alcohol and drug use through ads, TV shows/movies, social media and in the news. This exposure can influence their own use. Our new factsheet offers ways that teachers can help students to navigate these potentially harmful influences.
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Did you miss our webinar on school-based approaches to vaping prevention?
Access the full recording + slides from our recent webinar with OurFutures Vaping to learn more about their vaping prevention program, the latest trends in e-cigarette use among Australian youth + practical strategies to address vaping in schools!
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How teachers can guide students against drug and alcohol related harms
Young people's attitudes towards alcohol and other drugs are often heavily influenced by their school environment. This factsheet has useful tips to help teachers correct common misperceptions about alcohol and other drugs.
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Recommended Program: Get Ready
Looking for a free, evidence-based prevention program for your Year 7-9 students? Get Ready provides teachers with a series of 10 lessons on illicit drugs which include teacher manuals, student workbooks + "trigger" videos to facilitate discussion. Access them all here.
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RESOURCES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITIES
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Learn about the health harms of smoking and vaping, reasons to quit, and gain practical tips for you and your mob! Check out NSW Health's latest resources on smoking and vaping, developed with Aboriginal young people and researchers at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use.
You'll find two short animated videos showing how smoking and vaping affects a young person's health, how to break the cycle, and the benefits of quitting. There's also factsheets to go with each video providing more information about the health impacts and where to get help.
To access these resources, visit "The Facts About Smoking" or "The Facts About Vaping" pages below:
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Results from the 2022-2023 Australian Secondary School Students Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey are out. Our latest blog post looks at what's changed over the last 5 years in young people's behaviours around alcohol, vaping, smoking and other illicit drug use. Read more here.
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A recent study by Cancer Council NSW's Generation Vape project has found that young people perceive e-cigarette use as common amongst peers, and consider vaping as being socially acceptable. It also revealed that e-cigarette use was driven by a desire to fit in. Read the full article here.
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PARTICIPATE IN OUR STUDY / TRIAL OPPORTUNITIES!
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Is your school in need of educational programs to prevent substance use and mental health problems? Researchers at the University of Sydney are currently recruiting secondary schools to deliver our award-winning, evidence-based mental health and substance use prevention programs: Preventure & OurFutures. For more information on the study, please email annabelle.hawkins@sydney.edu.au
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Do you work with children aged 13-17?
The Triple E Project are seeking people aged 13-17 to join a study to improve young people’s engagement with health apps. The study will involve using an evidence-based health app designed to help them eat more healthily, be more physically active, get more sleep, and reduce their screen time, smoking and alcohol use. All participants will receive a gift voucher for their time. Find out more here!
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ORDER YOUR FREE BOOKLETS!
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Get your FREE copy of the teachers and schools booklet for evidence-based information on how to talk to students about alcohol and other drugs. You can also order a student version that can be shared in your health education classes!
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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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