Drinking Alcohol

What you believe the opposite sex thinks .

The current research wants to get young people's own views about alcohol. How much do you drink, why do you drink, what do you think people think about alcohol consumption, what do think men think, what do you think women think? We want to understand the role of alcohol in young people's lives by asking you. This project is being undertaken as part of an honours project in psychology by Lynda Lawson at QUT. These questions have not been asked in Australia before and your answers will provide very valuable data.
If you are interested please click on the following link. Thankyou

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=r7cwam3mfjY6SC2UpJ3p5w_3d_3d

Drugs & Alcohol

The teenage years are a time of experimentation, of figuring out who you are and what experiences life has to offer. In some cases this extends to drug taking, which can be dangerous, especially if you don't really know what you're doing. There may be a number of reasons for a young person to start experimenting with drugs - boredom, wanting to fit in with a group, curiosity, trying to deal with or block out feelings of anger, upset or isolation, or simply following the example of those around them.

Drug and alcohol use can be very detrimental to both your physical and your emotional health, especially when you are young, your body is still growing and you are still finding out what your limits are!

Usually the problems that lead to the drug taking, e.g. depression or anxiety, aren't solved and are in fact made worse, for example you may feel like you need alcohol to make you feel good and then find it even harder to have a good time without it. Certain substances are not only very addictive, but can also have a permanent effect on your body and/or your personality and usually there's no way of knowing until it's too late.

That's just the tip of the iceberg. Drug taking can lead to damaged relationships with friends and family, job loss, isolation, depression, and serious health problems.

The bottom line is:

Don't feel embarrassed to say no - it shows more strength of character than doing something because someone else thinks you should.
Don't underestimate the risks involved.
Always make sure you know what you're doing, and that it's because you want to.
Just because a friend says it's okay, doesn't mean it is - arm yourself with reliable information from different sources (there are some useful links at the bottom of this page).
Talk about it with someone trustworthy - if reaching out to family members or friends is out of the question then go to a school counsellor or an adult you know and trust. There are also helplines you can call up to talk to someone anonymously (see links below) – also useful if you're concerned about someone you know using drugs.

Links

National Drugs Campaign

Heaps of facts about drugs and how they affect you, as well as a list of helplines/support services can be found at:

www.drugs.health.gov.au/internet/drugs/publishing.nsf/Content/youth-home

Alcohol and Drug Information Services (ADIS)

For information on counselling services or about drugs call the Campaign Info Line on 1800 250 015 (freecall) and ask for the ADIS in your state/territory.

Lifeline

A national 24-hour phone counselling service, there to help you through any problem no matter how big or small:

13 11 14 (local call)