Drugs and alcohol

The first few months of high school have the potential to affect a child for the rest of their life. During this period they'll all want to find a friend or a friendship group and that can be tough. Here is an updated version of an article Paul Dillon wrote a couple of years ago discussing this important time and a few simple things that any parent of a first year high school student should try to do over the coming month or so.

With confirmation that at least 4 of the recent festival deaths were due to an MDMA (the substance users want in their ecstasy) overdose, this Western Australian article illustrates just how variable the contents of pills and capsules can be. In the last 6 months less than half of pills analysed by WA's ChemCentre contained MDMA - instead the most likely drug to be found was MDA (a more potent and more hallucinogenic substance than MDMA). A well-balanced piece - no hysteria, just the facts!

Lemon, lime and bitters contains alcohol and has been known to cause a positive breathalyser result for L and P platers (blowing over 0.00). Here are 5 things that may cause a similar problem that teens need to know, ranging from mouthwash and certain foods to the truly bizarre (and somewhat questionable!) 'Up & Go' and a 'Bubble O Bill' ice-cream. Paul Dillon provides two simple tips for young drivers that can prevent this from happening.

A great article that explains 'why' people choose to use drugs (both legal and illegal) and the importance of understanding these reasons to help make sense of why “just say no” messages are so often ignored.