Alcohol and other drugs
This topic covers the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs (at times referred to as AOD). It also includes information about young people coping with peer relationships or family members with addiction.
Feature: Report from DrinkWise
November 2010
A report just released by DrinkWise confirms what the parents of many young people already know: young people face ‘the risk of social exclusion if they don’t drink the way their peers are drinking’.
The 200-page report examines every aspect of young people’s drinking habits and preferences, but highlights the importance of alcohol in creating camaraderie within their social groups. The researchers stress that young people’s viewpoints regarding the risk and excess involved in drinking need to be fully understood before strategies can be devised to bring about harm reduction.
From ideal to reality: Cultural contradictions and young people’s drinking was commissioned by DrinkWise and funded by both Drinkwise and the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. It has been researched and compiled by the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA) at Flinders University, and is the second part of a three-year national project into sociocultural influences on young people’s drinking.
The report can be downloaded from the DrinkWise website at the following web page: www.drinkwise.org.au/c/dw?a=da&did=1024287&pid=1290036897 About DrinkWise: www.drinkwise.org.au/c/dw?a=da&did=1018514
Legislation, policies and frameworks
Alcohol.gov.au
The Department of Health and Aging has a website for information about alcohol-related health issues and Australian Government policy.
www.alcohol.gov.au
National Drug Strategy
This website contains links to strategies, policies and frameworks relating to alcohol, illicit drugs and tobacco use.
www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/framework-lp
Lessons learned in developing intervention programs
The US developers of Making Choices and Strong Families, Mark Fraser and Maeda Galinsky, intervention programs have identified 5 five steps for the design and development of other programs. Original article
17 May 2012
New program for young people with a a parent or caregiver with cancer
CanTeen Australia will be trialling an 8 week face-to-face group support program called Truce. More information
17 May 2012
Towards an agenda for children in the middle years in NSW
This discussion paper from the NSW Commission for Children and Young people was prepared for a Roundtable on the Middle Years of Childhood held on 24 April 2012 with non-government organisations to share developments and explore future directions and opportunities for collaboration. Original article
17 May 2012
Siblings Australia Surveys
For 13 years Siblings Australia has developed services and resources for siblings of children and adults with disability or chronic illness. Recently, they have been concerned about one particular challenge – the incidence of aggression toward siblings by the child/young person with disability. In order to understand the nature and extent of the problem they have established a short (10 question) anonymous survey. Siblings Australia hopes to hear from parents, providers and siblings themselves. Original article
17 May 2012
Partnerships between schools and the professional arts sector: evaluation of impact on student outcomes
This two part report, commissioned by Arts Victoria and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD), considers the impact of school-arts partnerships on student engagement, student voice, social learning, creative skills and arts-related knowledge and skills. Original article
17 May 2012