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Alcohol Education Workshop proves a hit with students!

Alcohol Education Workshop held by The Burdekin Association as part of the Canada Bay Library Project

The Burdekin Association recently conducted an Alcohol Education Workshop as part of the Canada Bay Youth Space Project, in collaboration with Concord High School. Thirty Year 9 students actively participated in these informative sessions.

Throughout the workshops, Year 9 students delved into topics such as the impact of alcohol on decision-making, the hazards associated with excessive alcohol consumption, the physiological effects of alcohol on the human body, and the crucial importance of responsible drinking. 

One engaging activity involved students wearing “beer goggles”, simulating the experience of intoxication. This exercise aimed to provide a firsthand understanding of the challenges posed by impaired perception. The beer goggles functioned by altering the participants’ view, affecting their balance and stability. This alteration made it challenging for students to walk in a straight line or perform seemingly simple tasks such as pouring a drink, reading a tongue twister, picking up a coin, or maintaining a straight path while walking. 

Through this immersive activity, students gained valuable insights into the effects of alcohol on one’s abilities and behaviour.

The students expressed favourable opinions about the interactive components of the workshop, emphasising how these hands-on experiences greatly enriched their comprehension and heightened their awareness of the potential hazards and risks associated with excessive drinking.

The students gained insight into:

  • How alcohol influences decision making.
  • The impact alcohol has on a person’s ability to drive.
  • The consequences of mixing alcohol with energy drinks.
  • The importance of responsible drinking
  • Safety measures that you can put in place to help yourself and your friends.
Year 9 Student wearing beer goggles
Trying to walk in a straight line while wearing beer goggles.
Attempting to pour a standard drink while wearing beer goggles.
Student trying to walk in a straight line while wearing beer goggles.
Student trying to walk in a straight line while wearing beer goggles.
Attempting to read a tongue twister while wearing beer goggles.
Attempting to read a bus timetable while wearing beer goggles.
Playing Twister while wearing beer goggles.

Other key learnings the students gained from the experience:

(In their own words)

  • Eat something before you go out, so that you’re not drinking on an empty stomach.
  • Always have someone with you and look after your mates.
  • Call the ambulance if needed.
  • Lay the affected person in the recovery position while waiting for help.
  • Alcohol can harm your brain.
  • Don’t drink and mix alcohol (depressant) with energy drinks (stimulant).
  • Vomiting doesn’t always help you to sober up.
  • Don’t drive home from a party if you drink alcohol.
  • Alcohol takes one hour to be processed by your liver.
  • Call the ambulance on 112 on your mobile if you need help.

The giveaway fidget spinners provided by The Burdekin Association were a tremendous hit among the students. The QR code on the fidget spinners directed people to ‘Your Room’, a “Community Drug Action Team” (CDAT) resource hub for up-to-date and accurate information on alcohol and other drugs.

The positive feedback, high level of engagement and enthusiastic participation from the Year 9 students indicate that similar workshops can be valuable tools in educating and raising awareness among students on critical issues related to alcohol consumption. 

For more information on the Canada Bay Youth Space Project, please click here.

Gambling, gaming and young people

Teenager gaming

After two years of dedicated effort and success, we are excited to report that we have acquired funding for the extension of The Dee Why Project for an additional three years.

The Dee Why Project is generously funded by the Office of Responsible Gambling NSW and was established to develop a comprehensive gambling and gaming education awareness program, with case management, for the Dee Why community.

Over the past year, The Dee Why Project has successfully organised a Community Forum on Gaming and Gambling, which served as a platform for creating discussion and awareness-building around gaming and gambling.

To navigate children through responsible gaming and gambling, workshops were conducted in the Dee Why region to foster wellbeing and life skills among students. Open Services Days were also organised at secondary schools on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Internal training was provided to all Burdekin staff members, thanks to collaboration with GambleAware. This training significantly enhanced the confidence of staff in initiating conversations with young people regarding potential harm and occasional gambling habits.

Why focus on gaming and gambling?

Today’s generation of children and adolescents face a unique and concerning environment in relation to gambling. With smart phones and social media platforms at their fingertips, the line between gambling and entertainment has been blurred. Games are designed to be immersive, making it easy to lose track of time.

According to a Special Report by Dr. Michael Carr Greg, Child and Adolescent Psychologist, a “considerable number of teenagers are engaging in online gambling, facilitated by the industry’s normalisation of betting practices on the internet. A significant percentage of adolescents are involved in gambling activities and some experience adverse consequences, including diminished academic performance and strained relationships.”

It’s considered imperative by Dr. Michael Carr Greg that caregivers and parents have open discussions about media choices and encourage a balanced approach to screen time, promoting alternative activities for stress relief and boredom, and setting clear family rules for screen and internet use, including the establishment of spending limits for online gambling and in-game purchases. The aim is to empower children and young people to make informed and responsible decisions in the digital age.

What strategies can be used?

  • Start early – begin the conversation about gambling at an age-appropriate level. Young children can understand the concept at an early age.
  • Be a good role model – demonstrate responsible gambling behaviours and explain the importance of setting limits.
  • Educate yourself – understand the various forms of gambling the young person may be exposed to.
  • Be non-judgemental – create an open and safe environment where the young person feels comfortable to discuss their thoughts and experiences with gambling.
  • Discuss risks and consequences – talk about the potential risks and negative consequences of gambling, such as addiction and strained relationships.
  • Set boundaries – establish clear family rules about gambling, including age restrictions for engaging in different forms of gambling.
  • Teach online safety – educate the young person about the risks of online gambling, including the importance of not sharing personal information or engaging in illegal activities.
  • Monitor online activities – keep an eye on the young person’s online activities, including their gaming and gambling apps and raise any concerns.
  • Talk about advertising – discuss the influence of gambling advertising and its impact on decision making.
  • Seek help if needed – if you suspect a young person has a gambling problem, or is at risk, seek professional help from a counsellor or therapist.

Warning signs to look for

What are some of the warning signs that a young person is gaming, gambling or using technology too much? An expert – Brad Marshall, Director of the Screen and Gaming Disorder Clinic, has compiled some common red flags when it comes to teens and kids gaming and using technology.

What difference will the extension of The Dee Why Project have?

The extension of the Dee Why Project will allow The Burdekin Association to expand the reach of our work on gambling and gaming awareness to encompass the entire Northern Beaches region of Sydney. Alongside this, we’re excited to report that a Peer Education Program will be targeted at Year 11 students that will focus on gambling prevention, early intervention, and referral pathways for young people living on the Northern Beaches.

For more information on The Dee Why Project and the Parent Forum on Gaming and Gambling, click here.

What to do? Homelessness Conference offers solutions

The Burdekin Association, Newsletter Image, Homelessness

Did you know? The number of young Australians identified as homeless increased by 2,500 to 46,000 between 2016 and 2021 (Australian Census data). 

This was a key finding of the National Children and Youth Homelessness Conference that was held late last month in Melbourne. 

The conference brought together key people to raise awareness of the fact that the incidence of children and young people needing and seeking help from homelessness services has not reduced significantly since the Rudd government in 2008 committed to halving homelessness by 2020. 

The conference aimed to mobilise a collective commitment to develop a joint government-NGO strategy to address child and youth homelessness nationally.

Other key findings released during the Conference (and featured in the ‘It’s Time’ report by the Youth Development Agency, included: 

  • Two out of five people considered to be homeless were children or young people under 24 years of age. 
  • Around 17,646 homeless people were aged under 12.
  • Approximately 36 per cent of the young homeless people identified as First Nations people. 
The Burdekin Association, Newsletter Image, Homelessness

The report also advised that to address the causes of homelessness and reduce the impact of homelessness, services and systems need to be transformed from (mostly) crisis intervention services to prevention and early intervention approaches – a solution that would neither be simple nor quick, but more effective.

The report states: “Many young people experiencing homelessness find moving into a fully independent living situation to be difficult because they are passing through a major developmental stage in life. Homelessness has a major impact on the successful completion of secondary school, participation in post-secondary education or training, and gaining secure employment.”

“In addition to stable housing, young people need to be supported into and through education and/or employment. Linking housing with education and training supports and into employment is the best way to ensure a transition to independence and to avoid future homelessness.”

Professor Brian Burdekin AO, Patron of The Burdekin Association gave the key note address at the conference and recently wrote an Opinion Editorial article for John Menadue’s Public Policy Journal, ‘Pearls and Irritations’.

“Federal, state and local governments need to work together with community organisations to develop a specific plan to address child and youth homelessness — to prevent them continuing to experience homelessness into their adult years. Their pathways into homelessness, their vulnerability and the assistance they need, are frequently very different to adults.”

Professor Brian Burdekin AO, Patron of the Burdekin Association

“Some of the rapidly growing number of homeless children we are now looking after at the Burdekin Association in Sydney are as young as seven years old. The problems confronting these children and young people include family poverty and isolation; the scarcity of low-cost housing alternatives; failure to provide any follow-up support for children who have been wards of the state; the inadequacy or complete absence of mental health facilities in rural and regional areas (where our youth suicide rate is double that of our major cities); and failure to implement programs for family support and early intervention strategies which could assist children at risk of becoming homeless,” Professor Brian Burdekin continued.

Read Professor Brian Burdekin’s speech at the National Children & Youth Homelessness Conference here.

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We acknowledge the Aboriginal people of the Cadigal and Gayamaygal Clans. We acknowledge the Country on which we live, work, and gather as being Aboriginal land.

We acknowledge the lands, waterways and skies that are connected to Aboriginal people. We honour them and pay our deepest respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We respect their rightful place within our communities, and we value their ancient cultural knowledge and practices.

Aboriginal Flag
Torres Straight Island Flag

We deeply respect that this will always be Aboriginal land and we will honour and follow the first peoples’ values in caring for the Country and for preserving their culture.

We deeply value that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the oldest living culture in the world and we will continue to work with their peoples and communities to ensure their cultures endure and remain strong.