B Healthy
This part of the site is intended to point you in the right direction with regards to Young people’s health issues.
There is already a lot of information on the world wide web about health and health related issues so we just wanted to bring all this information together.
Click on the links below to find out more about each topic.
Substance Use
Drugs and drug use is an important issue for many young people – whether you have taken a drug before or not.
We completed a survey with young people who have or are in the process of leaving care and their thoughts about drugs and drug use -click here to find out the results of our “Drugs Survey”(PDF).
Use these websites to find out more about drugs and their uses:
The FRANK website
Alcohol Use
Stay in control of your drink - rather than the other way round - by knowing the facts about alcohol.
1. Alcohol gets into the bloodstream within a few minutes of drinking and is carried to all parts of the body. The effects can take hours to wear off and vary depending on:
- how much and how quickly a person is drinking;
- what they've been drinking (strong drinks like spirits and fizzy drinks like cider are absorbed more quickly);
- how used they are to drinking alcohol;
- their size and weight and other factors, such as wether they have eaten.
2. If a person is smaller or lighter, the alcohol will be concentrated in a smaller body. So alcohol will affect a person who isn't fully grown more quickly.
3. It's a biological fact - drink for drink, alcohol will affect a woman more than a man. Women are generally smaller, their bodies contain less water and the metabolism is different.
4. Alcohol affects physical co-ordination, reaction times and decision making. People who have been drinking are more likely to have an accident, get into arguments or take stupid risks. If they have drunk too much they may feel sick, have blackouts or lose consciousness. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
5. Drinking alcohol together with taking illegal drugs is particularly dangerous, increasing the likelihood of a serious drug overdose.
Use these websites to find out more about alcohol:
Jonnylonglife
Sexual health
Check out these sites to get in the know about sexual health and all related subjects!
http://www.playingsafely.co.uk/
Personal hygiene and staying healthy
Personal hygiene is a vital part of everyday life. Without a strict wash routine you will soon start feeling uncomfortable and people will be able to smell you from a mile off!
One of the biggest reasons for washing regularly is because we sweat. As people get older they sweat more, and it's not just when playing sports.
Sweating is the body's way of keeping us cool by keeping our skin moist, the body has millions of sweat glands and most of them are under the armpits.
At first, sweat doesn't actually smell (it's just water and salt) but after a while bacteria on the skin reacts with the sweat and a 'body odour' (or BO) is created. So how do you stop stinking?
- Take a shower or bath every day and also after you have got particularly sweaty (say, after sport). Use a shower gel or soap and make sure you wash your armpits, face, feet and genitals.
- Use a deodorant or anti-perspirant. A deodorant makes your armpits smell nice while an anti-perspirant will stop (or at least, decrease) your sweating.
- Wear fresh clothing, especially underwear. Sweat and bacteria can get onto your clothes and start to smell, if your clothes aren't washed before you wear them you will smell even if you've had a wash!
- The food and drink you consume can also make you smell more. Spicy foods (curry, chilli), drinks containing caffeine (cola, coffee) and any alcohol can increase smelly sweat.
General health websites
Check out these sites for more information on staying healthy
http://www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk/
http://www.teenagehealthfreak.org/homepage/index.asp
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