Dear Staff, Parents and Friends of the College,
Next Wednesday the College will be running a Seminar presented by the #Not Even Once Foundation. “Not Even Once” refers to the concept of not capitulating to peer pressure even once in matters of drugs and alcohol consumption. I was in contact with the organisation back in 2019 and was able to arrange a seminar for our Year 11 -12 students at that time. I was very impressed by the presentation and so invited them back the following year, but then Covid hit and everything came to a grinding halt. Fortunately, we are now able to resume this event again this year. The #NotEvenOnce project has now been delivered to around 15,000 NSW, VIC and TAS students, teachers, sporting club members and community members including many Christian and Catholic schools, so they know how to adapt the content very well to our school’s ethos, and I have worked with them to ensure this.
As mentioned in the email to parents of Year 9-12 students, this seminar is designed to assist our students develop an informed understanding of the dangers and risks associated with Alcohol and Drug consumption. The seminar will aim to provide students with strategies to enable them to say ‘no’ when under pressure and in situations beyond their control. It will educate them on the reasons for saying ‘no’.
The comprehensive seminars provide students and teachers with current scientific, medical and statistical information on the issues surrounding drug and alcohol use, particularly on the impact of Alcohol or Drug (AOD) use on the developing brain.
This seminar will include an:
• Overview of drug use.
• How different drugs impact the body and brain.
• Looks at causation issues and foundational aspects for developing resiliency around AOD issues.
• Drugs focused on in this seminar/s are Vaping, Alcohol, Cannabis, ICE, Ecstasy and other ATS (amphetamine-type- stimulants).
On a final note, I would ask parents to be cautious around allowing their children to use or acquire vapes or e-cigarettes.
Here are four dangerous side effects taken from the Children’s Health website ‘4 health effects of vaping’ – Children’s Health (childrens.com):
• Vaping puts teens at high risk for nicotine addiction. Many teens do not know that the majority of e-cigarettes are addictive.
• Vaping is bad for your lungs. The aerosol from e- cigarettes is not just water vapor. Many people think that there’s just simple water vapour and flavourings that taste good, but there is so much more. Things like nickel, tin and lead may be included – these are heavy metals that can cause direct damage to the lungs and brain.
• Vaping, even once, affects cardiovascular health. In addition to affecting the lungs, the nicotine and chemicals in e-cigarettes have also been tied to heart disease. Regular users of e-cigarettes are 56% more likely to suffer a heart attack.
• Use of e-cigarettes increases risk of other substance use.
Sincerely yours in the Two Hearts,
Father Andrew Cranshaw – Principal