Right now BTL is preparing a submission for the Australian Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy consultation and we want to get YOUR feedback on two sections:
- How the internet and technology can be used to implement the strategy.
- What other issues need to be thought about when implementing a drug strategy for young people (see Glossary for policy wonk terms below).
YAWN! Yeah...I don’t blame you but...
Put another way we want you to tell us:
- How you think the government, organisations and health services (aka other policy wonks, CEOs in suits and people in white coats with stethoscopes) can use technology to minimise the harms of drugs and alcohol for young people.
- What else is going on in the lives of young people that might make those 'drugs are bad mkay' lessons at school well, pretty much useless.
Why would you want to tell us?
Well, it enables us to bug governments and other organisations with ideas for how technology can be used to empower young people (in this case around drugs and alcohol) in an attempt to change their (i.e. the government's) ways.
So tell us what you think about drugs and technology and government and life and stuff below!
Thanks!
Marianne
P.S. For more information, whether it be on advocacy and policy submissions, the National Drug Strategy and this consultation, or any other questions, post a comment or send an email to me (marianne@inspire.org.au).
Glossary of stupid terms policy people use:
- Policy – a statement about why, what and how something should be done.
- Submission – a formal way of turning a policy statement into a long rant.
- Ministerial Council – bunch of governmenty-professionally people put together to solve a problem (or in many cases talk about the talks needed to start talking about the problem).
- Strategy – ridiculously long document on what the talkers talked about and what to do with that talk.
- Consultation – an invitation for lots of people to send in their rants to the talkers.
2 Comments
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Jess
almost 2 years ago
An affective drug policy would have to address the various environmental factors that influence the likelihood of an individual becoming a user; for instance, personality attributes, friendship networks, low levels of parental involvement, and community and societal pressures.
I would imagine that interventions that focused on the family, schools and wider community as well as adolescents themselves would be more effective at preventing and treating drug abuse than are interventions that target just the adolescent.
In terms of how technology could be used to minimize harm, vehicles could be fitted with breathalysers that have to show an alcohol reading that is below 0.5% before they can be started. Also, the internet could provide live online counselling for those coming off drugs.
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Ash
almost 2 years ago
Sometimes there seem to be so many conflicting influences in young people’s lives that it feels as if you are being pulled in several different directions at the same time. As a young person, our feelings and attitudes to drugs are not suddenly formed, but are shaped gradually by the opinions and attitudes of those around us. Therefore, for any drug policy to be successful it must first consider the young person in the context of their environment. Will a single strategy work for the person who takes drugs because their parents do, and for the person who takes drugs in order to cope with the anxiety they feel about keeping high grades at school? I think an effective drug strategy needs to acknowledge the fact that there are many different reasons for taking drugs, from underlying mental health issues to social learning and peer acceptance.
Because the reason for drug use is varied amongst young people it is reasonable to suggest that personalised intervention programs may be the most effective. E-counselling over the internet, where young people are able to communicate openly and anonymously with trained professionals, may aid in the treatment or prevention of drug use. In addition, interactive “drug diaries” which allow young people to record their drug usage, could help them to determine when their drug use may be becoming problematic and alert them to relevant resources or potential treatment options.
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