Sex, drugs and alcohol: two peer-led approaches in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) Vol. 22; no. 4; pp. 503 - 513
• Main Authors: ELLIOTT, K.J., LAMBOURN, A.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-08-1999; Academic Press for the Association for the Psychiatric Study of Adolescents; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; Adolescent; Adolescent Parents; Adolescents; Alcohol Abuse; Alcohol use; Children & youth; Cultural Influences; Drug Abuse; Drug Use; Female; Foreign Countries; Humans; Intervention; Male; New Zealand; Peer Counseling; Peer Group; Peer Groups; Peer helping programmes; Peer Relations; Peer Support Groups; Peers; Pregnancy; Pregnancy in Adolescence - prevention & control; Risk-Taking; School Health Services; Secondary School Students; Sex Education - methods; Sexual Behavior; Sexual behaviour; Sexuality; Sexually Transmitted Diseases - prevention & control; Social Support; Substance abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control; New Zealand
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1006/jado.1999.0244

This article discusses two adolescent peer-led interventions in Auckland, New Zealand designed to offer support to young people as they deal with important issues in their lives—sex, drugs and alcohol. New Zealand adolescents are a major risk group for HIV and AIDS, and teenage pregnancy is second only to that of the United States. Alcohol and other drug-related motor vehicle accidents amongst New Zealand youth are unacceptably high. The relevance of the unique cultural environment of New Zealand is discussed, and a description of the two peer-led interventions is provided. Challenges are offered and suggestions for possible future directions are given.