Is your daughter in Years 10, 11, or 12? Have you asked her about Mr Paul Dillon’s presentation at School this week on vaping and alcohol?
Paul presented to students on Wednesday and provided them with realistic, honest and relevant information about drugs and alcohol. During his presentation to parents on Thursday evening, he gave this advice about how to connect and talk to your daughter about drugs and alcohol:
Before you talk—be prepared
- know the facts—be as informed as possible
- remember what it was like to be a teenager and practice what you want to say—you want a conversation, not a lecture or a fight
- find the right time and place
What should you say?
- ask your daughter’s perspective
- express your views about drugs/alcohol and why you feel that way
- avoid judgement and don’t use scare tactics
- clearly state your family’s expectations about drugs/alcohol
- be ready to respond to your daughter’s statements about drugs/alcohol calmly—getting angry and frustrated isn’t going to help
- when in doubt about facts, offer to learn
You can connect with Paul by listening to his popular podcast, Doing Drugs with Paul Dillon by following him on Instagram.
More information can be found at DARTA (Drug and Alcohol Research Training Australia), including parent resources about vaping.
Ms Melinda Egan
Dean of Students
