Would you feel happy about your 10 year old learning about legal highs at school?
I’ve been interviewed on LBC Radio about the idea that more should be done in schools to protect children from drugs by giving children from 10 years old more school lessons about illegal drugs and dangerous new ‘legal highs’, according to a government adviser. Professor Simon Gibbons, a member of the Advisory Council on the […]
How cannabis alters the teenage brain.
When a teenager smokes cannabis are they permanently damaging their brain and dulling their intellect for a lifetime? The dangers of smoking cannabis, and the potential health benefits, have been a source of controversy for many years. The latest study on the drug suggested heavy and prolonged cannabis smoking as a teenager resulted in a […]
A Crooked Line – a feature-length documentary
The Story A troubled family sends their drug-addicted son to the Peruvian rain forest in an act of desperation and hope. On the difficult path towards recovery, Riley Chapman is forced to look back upon his past and struggle towards future redemption. Meanwhile, his parents try to cope with the realities of bringing him home […]
Talented, but Amy’s was not a life to admire.
In today’s Daily Mail there are some truly harrowing photographs of Amy Winehouse’s descent into addiction. I believe that it’s a good idea to talk and teach your kids about things that happen in the news and this is no exception. On Sunday as the news broke on Twitter and my son called me to […]
Warning Signs Of Drug Use
I try to move parents away from thinking in terms of ‘signs and symptoms’ of drug abuse because trying to spot ‘warning signs’ is really no substitute for good effective communication. The risks of relying on checklists are that you may jump to the wrong conclusions, think the worst, get it completely wrong or more […]
“Special Needs” is like an umbrella sheltering and hiding a huge collection of diagnoses underneath.
I have recently been coaching some wonderful parents who have a child with ADHD and as a former Deputy Head teacher of many children with unique and different needs, I have been exploring with them how to handle the painful and often overwhelming feelings associated with dealing with the diagnosis that their child is different. […]
Topic of The Month. Talking to your teenager about drugs.
“So what do we do? Anything – something. So long as we don’t just sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” ~ Lee Iacocca Former Chairman of Chrysler Corporation Communication is essential at any stage of […]