NEWS: Herald Sun- 18/06/07 'Parents write drug handbook'

Parents write drug handbook
Jane Metlikovec
June 18, 2007 12:00am

A MELBOURNE private school is leading the way in tackling teenage drug and alcohol use.

In a Victorian first, parents of Trinity Grammar School students have written and produced a handbook to help educate families about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

The release of the Trinity Parents' Alcohol & Drug Resource book comes after recent reports that students at other private schools have been dealing drugs on campus.

The booklet, which has been in production since last year, provides parents with guidelines for dealing with situations where drugs and alcohol may be present.

Trinity Grammar School deputy headmaster Rohan Brown said parents were often left in the dark when it came to understanding teenage culture.

He said the aim of the booklet was to provide parents with a consistent approach on issues relating to drugs and alcohol.

Parents were particularly concerned with adolescent alcohol consumption and were often unsure if their child drank, and if it was acceptable for them to take small amounts of alcohol to parties, he said.

"Binge drinking is extremely detrimental to children and it is often where they start. Kids drink underage, which sometimes then leads to harder drugs," Mr Brown said.

"We believe it is up to our community, schools and families to work together to educate young people of the harm caused by risk-taking behaviour."

He said Trinity had received an overwhelming response to the booklet, which he hoped would be reprinted by other schools.

"We have purposefully not copyright-protected the booklet because we hope other schools will rip our cover off, and add their own introductions and comments," he said.

Another Melbourne private school, Scotch College, recently came under fire for failing to tell police a student had been dealing ecstasy pills on campus.

Scotch College has repeatedly refused to comment on the incident, which occurred about three weeks ago.

The book will be launched on Wednesday at 6.30pm at the Camberwell Centre.

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Parents were particularly concerned with adolescent alcohol consumption and were often unsure if their child drank, and if it was acceptable for them to take small amounts of alcohol to parties, he said.

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PsiloSubNaut said:

Here we go again...

Parents educating their kids with their beliefs on drugs and alcohol

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marklar_the_23rd said:

"son, this is you from the future!"

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psytaco said:

Huh? Would you rather it was the government, religious groups or schools?
This sort of education should be done by parents.

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