Wild-child brains are `wired differently’
The Scotsman
- Teenagers who binge-drink and take drugs may have differently-wired brains - meaning they could be screened for their risk of substance abuse. Newly-discovered networks of neurons suggest some youngsters are more likely to begin smoking, experimenting with cannabis or consuming large amounts of alcohol.
Young keep mobile, but not at the wheel
Scotland on Sunday
- Young people in Scotland are increasingly turning their backs on driving because of the soaring cost - and the allure of their smartphones. Today, fewer than one in three under-21s has a driving licence, compared with nearly half 20 years ago. Transport experts said that high motoring costs were a major factor. However, academics added communication by internet and phone made it less important to travel.
Children’s Hearings reforms delayed to next summer
The Herald
- Major changes to the running of the Children’s Hearings system have been delayed, after experts called on ministers to rethink. The Scottish government has repeatedly insisted plans were on track to deliver reforms set out under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 in time for September. But children’s minister Aileen Campbell said the system would not be ready until the summer of 2013.
Many young cancer patients fail to get early diagnosis, survey reveals
The Guardian
- A quarter of young people with cancer visited GPs four times or more before their symptoms were taken seriously and they were referred to a specialist, according to research. A survey at a Teenage Cancer Trust conference for 300 young cancer patients asked about the experiences of 13- to 24-year-olds after they first experienced symptoms.
Joyce’s ex-teacher says yob MP needed beating
The Sun
- Shamed MP Eric Joyce would have been less of a thuggish yob if he’d got the belt at school, his former teacher insisted. Retired Perth Academy deputy rector George McMillan claimed Joyce was only spared corporal punishment because his mum refused to allow it.
