Planet Youth. Helping young people live their best lives.
Planet Youth Blue Mountains is a global and local community-centred project aimed at preventing substance use amongst young people by identifying and strengthening the things that protect them and help them to live their best lives.
Planet Youth is an approach to drug and alcohol prevention that works by focusing on the things that help prevent substance use amongst young people. It supports communities to work together to reduce the ‘risk factors’ that increase the likelihood of young people using drugs and alcohol, and most importantly, to strengthen the ‘protective factors’ that can prevent it.
Planet Youth began in the 90s in Iceland as a local initiative to reduce substance use amongst young people. Over the next 20 years, Iceland changed the game. Iceland went from having the highest rates of substance use amongst young people in Europe, to having the lowest. Planet Youth is now being adopted by communities all over the world.
Recent research has shown that the brain keeps developing until we’re in our mid-twenties, and that alcohol and drugs are even more harmful to young people than previously thought. Any level of alcohol and drug use has significant risks for young people – they are much more likely than adults to suffer injury and harm, cause damage to the brain, do things they may regret, take more risks, and develop substance dependency later in life.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation is working with the international Planet Youth team to pilot the approach through the Local Drug Action Team Program, which is funded under the Australian Government’s National Ice Action Strategy and managed by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. The Planet Youth Blue Mountains project is a collaborative effort between local government, community services, schools, parents and carers, young people and the Blue Mountains community.
Together we can help our young people live their best lives.
The Blue Mountains area is one of five Planet Youth pilot sites in Australia. The local project began in 2019 with a survey of Year 10 students in Blue Mountains high schools. The second Planet Youth Australia survey was conducted in April 2022. The next step is to share what we’ve learned and start working together to make our community a place where young people can thrive.
And we need everyone’s help. Please keep reading to learn more, get in touch to find out how you can get involved, and join the conversation on Facebook.
Our Vision
The vision for Planet Youth Blue Mountains is that all young people are active, healthy and thriving, connected to their families and communities, and achieving their full potential.
Our Mission
The mission of Planet Youth Blue Mountains is to collaborate in a process of transformative change by embedding primary prevention approaches which enhance young people’s health, relationships, environment and wellbeing.
It takes a village.
The Planet Youth Blue Mountains project involves many local organisations, schools and community members and our network is growing. To find out more about what guides us, you can view and download the Planet Youth Blue Mountains Terms of Reference below. If you would like to find out more about what we are doing or join the conversation to help our young people live their best lives, please join us. Follow the Planet Youth Facebook Page or get in touch through this website or with one of our supporting organisations below.
Your feedback will help us improve the Planet Youth Blue Mountains project. We’d be grateful if you would take a couple of minutes to answer a few quick questions.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the beautiful Blue Mountains, the Darug and Gundungurra peoples. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
We embrace the rich diversity of our community and support the inclusion of all people including our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex communities.
To get involved and find out more about Planet Youth Blue Mountains, please contact us. You can also sign up for Planet Youth Blue Mountains News emails and jump on our socials.
Planet Youth Blue Mountains is an Alcohol and Drug Foundation funded initiative that is being implemented by the Local Drug Action Team in partnership with Blue Mountains City Council and Mountains Youth Services Team (MYST) and supported by local schools, community members and a number of community services including Platform Youth Services, Ted Noffs Foundation, Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network, Stronger Families Alliance, Belong Blue Mountains, Springwood Neighbourhood Centre, Blackheath Area Neighbourhood Centre, Blue Mountains Women’s Health & Resource Centre, Catholic Care, Uniting, TAFE Blue Mountains and the NSW Department of Education.