Supporting a non-drinking teen
In 2010 I visited Broken Hill and delivered a presentations to a group of Year 10 students. A box was left at the front of the room and young people were encouraged to write down any questions, queries or concerns they had regarding the topics being discussed. One question stood out from all the others - it read as follows: "I identify myself as a non-drinker. I really don’t like the taste and how it makes me feel but most of my friends drink and sometimes I drink just to fit in. What’s the best way to deal with my situation. I don’t want to be known as a loser …" I kept the hand-written note for many years, using a copied version of it in many of my parent sessions and it highlights the pressure that young people can feel to drink alcohol when they socialise with their peers. Of course, that 'peer pressure' still exists (although I think it has reduced in recent times, but more about that later), but what happens when the pressure to drink comes from somewher...