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DrinkWise Ambassadors Mike McKay, Dr Andrew Rochford, Rob de Castella, Liz Ellis and Susie ONeill share their thoughts and concerns about the drinking culture in Australia and attitudes to alcohol, including binge drinking and peer pressure amongst teenagers. For some binge drinking has become routine and many see drinking alcohol to get drunk as not only acceptable, but expected. Alcohol misuse is dangerous and increases a person's risk of injury or harm. Is it possible to change the national drinking culture? Generational change is the key to a healthier future for Australian society. Research shows that parents are their children's' most influential role models.

SYDNEY punched and brawled its way through another two nights of alcohol-fuelled stupidity this weekend. No one was immune - tourists, locals, even women - were punched and kicked on the city's streets. They all ended up in the emergency ward of St Vincent's Hospital, the front line of treating victims of the violence that mars our streets after dark at the weekend.

A person may or may not be aware of underlying reasons for their drug use. If you think about why you or others may use alcohol, this will give you some idea as to why young people like to use alcohol or other drugs. For example:

Throughout history, people have used different kinds of drugs to change the way they feel or see the world. Different cultures have developed social rituals and rules around drug use as a way to control their impact on society. Drugs and how they are used also have different meanings in different cultures. For example in the Pacific Islands, kava is drunk as a means of making contact with the supernatural, to welcome visitors to the community and to cure illnesses. Some Native American Indians use a mushroom that causes dream-like states as a way of getting in touch with the Great Spirit. We use alcohol to celebrate special events like birthdays and weddings.

That's how much longer adult Ontarians would live, on average, if they could collectively overcome five unhealthy habits: smoking, excess alcohol consumption, poor diet, sedentary behaviour and stressing out. That is the conclusion of a new report from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario.

Unwanted sexual encounters and unsafe sex are rife among drinkers and drug users, a survey has found. Nearly one in four of the 6605 Australian respondents to the Global Drug Survey said they had been taken advantage of sexually because they were vulnerable after consuming drugs or alcohol.

Many people have never experienced addiction of any sort. For these people it can be very hard to understand and grasp the logic behind drug abuse. But with drug use getting more and more prevalent in America, it's now common for people to dig deeper and look for the reasons why people use drugs and alcohol. This is not meant to be a complete list, nor is is meant to be medical advise, but I feel this article can shed some light for addicts or family members of addicts dealing with this burning question…

Young people try drugs for many reasons including relaxation, socialising, curiosity or peer pressure. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are the most commonly used drugs by teenagers. Around one in five teenagers have tried cannabis at least once. Parents can reduce the risk of drugs for their children with some strategies.