DOING DRUGS WITH
PAUL DILLON

COVID-19 represents an unprecedented challenge to families around the world. UNESCO estimates that there are currently 1.38 billion children out of school or child care, without access to group activities, team sports, or playgrounds. In a letter published in The Lancet  earlier this month the authors wrote that families are "living with increased stress, media hype, and fear, all challenging our capacity for tolerance and long-term thinking"  and sadly, as they stated, there is no clarity on how long the situation will last. Social distancing has been introduced to slow the spread of the virus and it certainly appears that the restrictions that have been put into place across the country have been effective in 'flattening the curve' (won't we all be so happy never to hear that phrase again once this is all over?). We've been told to 'stay home' and it would seem that a majority of the Australian population have heeded the call. Living in isola...

Last weekend I did my first Instagram Live - a 20 minute live feed to my 28,000 Instagram followers. It was an interesting experience, quite nerve-wracking actually, and to make sure I had something to say to whoever was out there listening I asked anyone who had a question to send them through to me via Direct Message (DM). I was flooded with questions, some involving how and why I got into the alcohol and other drug field, others around how I was coping with 'isolation' and what I was doing with my time, as well as those that dealt with specific drugs and their effects. There were also a number that expressed concern about friends who they believed were drinking (or using other drugs, particularly cannabis) on their own while at home in isolation, asking what they could do to make sure they were safe. There were two DMs that I thought I would share with you that highlighted an issue that almost every Australian parent should be aware of and they are as follows:  "I...