• Long-term use is related to memory damage and low motivation, increased risk of schizophrenia, and reproductive issues
• Immediate effects include anxiety, panic, paranoia, coordination and concentration problems after the experience of altered mood state
• There are receptors in the brain that cannabis works on, that are active in the areas of memory, coordination and decision-making
• It takes weeks for the body to eliminate all the THC (the active agent) from a single use

John and Maureen worked in a unit which was under Carmen's management. They were friendly at work, but did not socialise together. Maureen was a single mother, with two teenage boys, while John's children were older, with only his youngest daughter aged 22 still living at home.

Maureen's 15 year old son, Jason, caused her to worry every weekend. He had been picked up twice by the police, and she often had no idea where he was on Saturday nights. Jason told her not to worry, but she knew he and his mates drank large quantities of alcohol when they went out, and they often ended up in parks or at the beach. It wasn't safe, but she felt powerless to stop him. She wondered where it would end: bashed up or in a road accident?

Some of the facts about teenage drinking

• Alcohol is the most commonly used drug by teenagers
• It makes a difference if parents try to limit their teenagers' alcohol consumption
• Problem drinking in adolescence is related to problem drinking as an adult
• Binge drinking is related to higher accidents, aggression, risk of sexual assault, memory and thinking impairment

John faced a different problem with his daughter Jessica. She was the youngest of three, and had been a very shy girl growing up. Now Jessica had started going to rave parties on the weekends with some new friends, and John suspected she was using drugs. Jessica denied it, but her moods on Monday and Tuesday were so different to the rest of the week, that John thought Jessica must be using the “pills” he had read about in the media. The more John tried to talk to Jessica about it, the more withdrawn Jessica became.

Some of the facts about ecstasy

• Ecstasy is a stimulant which triggers feelings of heightened awareness and senses
• The manufacture and distribution of ecstasy is part of a worldwide multi-billion dollar industry
• The quality, strength and ingredients of ecstasy pills is highly unreliable
• There is a likelihood of depression and lethargy after use: ecstasy uses the brain's supplies of natural “feel-good” chemicals in one hit,and may possibly lead to long-term depression with regular use
• Higher doses are related to the increased risk of over-heating and dehydration, which is increased if alcohol is consumed simultaneously

How can the workplace help?

Maureen received a call from the police at work about a weekend incident involving Jason. She broke down in tears when she got off the phone and confided in John about her difficulties with Jason. Maureen felt she was to blame and that others would judge her as a bad parent. In contrast, John was very understanding and supportive. In fact, it was a huge relief for Maureen to tell someone at work what was going on. When John told her about his own worries with Jessica, Maureen felt reassured that maybe all parents have problems.

Maureen needed to take some time off to go to the police station with Jason that afternoon. That meant she had to speak to Carmen – and John encouraged her to be up front with her. “Who knows what goes on with her family” John advised. “Just let her know you are going through a rough patch at the moment, and need some allowance to try to get things sorted”.

Carmen was more understanding than Maureen expected, and offered her access to the Employee Assistance Program if she would like to get some confidential advice or counselling. Carmen didn't confide in Maureen about her own problems with her son's drug use. She thought it was better if her sub-ordinates had no knowledge about her personal affairs. Like Maureen, Carmen was fearful of being judged as a “bad parent”, and somehow thought family problems might reflect on her work performance. Rationally she knew this was silly, but she lacked trust in others to separate the two issues.

Maureen benefited a great deal from her EAP counselling. She asked Jason's father to come to a session and they drew up a plan to get him more directly involved in weekend supervision of Jason's whereabouts, as well as things like school work. Carmen put her own issues with Jason's father aside, for the sake of the boys' growing up.

Maureen suggested to John that his daughter might be able to talk to someone too, and that he follow this up with the Human Resources manager. John thought it was worth a try. He had never used the Employee Assistance Program before, but maybe it could help change things.

John and Maureen became a mutual support team, confiding in each other about their parenting problems. Because their situations were so different, they generally just listened to each other, and this was an outlet they both appreciated. Maureen and John agreed that having each other to talk to, helped get them through some very stressful times. Maureen also enquired at Jason's school about their advise for parents with kids' drinking and parties – she was given some practical strategies that she and Jason's father could try to use.

However, Carmen's situation didn't change. She confided in no-one at work, and applied for a national manager's position. While she felt guilty about travelling even more, Carmen had no idea what to do about her son's drug use. The whole family was suffering, counselling for her son hadn't worked – Carmen felt overwhelmed and helpless. Where would it end – with her son in a psychiatric hospital? Carmen couldn't bear to think about it.

The workplace can help by offering:

• A culture of support and care for its staff
• Some flexibility in leave at crisis times
• Collegial support
• Confidentiality for employees' personal concerns
• Access to Employee Assistance Programs for advice or counselling on personal matters. It may be possible to include family members in this
• Referral to other agencies if Employee Assistance Programs are not available

Useful references for parents – and their kids