• The Club of Tortured Souls

    Recently, one of my patients with bipolar disorder took Ecstasy at a rave. Within 60 minutes she had collapsed on the dance floor from dehydration.

  • Students stressed, desperate for help

    One of the more difficult aspects of answering teen questions is the degree of angst and pain that spills from them. Although the majority of our teenage children progress through adolescence to become well-adjusted, productive adults, a substantial minority is desperate for help during life’s stressful events.

  • Survey shows youth drug use up in past decade

    In this continuing series based on teens’ questions asked at Canterbury High School, today’s column looks at the drug issue, which is all too often intertwined with the issue of sex among teenagers.

  • How do you get herpes?

    How have society’s changing attitudes about sexual activity and responsibility affected our teenage children? The Medical Institute for Sexual Health, a U.S. non-profit group promoting sexual abstinence outside marriage, lists the devastating toll laissez-faire attitudes have had on our teens.

  • Which is worse: cigarette or joint?

    You walk a fine line at times when responding to teens’ questions. One frequently asked centers around comparisons between marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol. For example, a common question is, “What is worse, smoking a joint or smoking a cigarette?”

  • Teens and the weed issue

    ‘Just say no’ won’t work when it comes to talking to your teenager about the dangers of smoking marijuana. Much more will be achieved with rational discussions about responsibility

  • What teens want to know

    School children tend to set the agenda when it comes to what health info they want Despite numerous health advisory and information campaigns, inroads into curbing or modifying deleterious adolescent behaviours remain wanting. There are many reasons, including competition from television and movies, advertising, peer pressure, academic responsibilities, development of independent attitudes and rebelliousness, and…