Doctor's 'side-effect' warning over Grace Tame bong photo

Child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg has called for former Australian of the Year Grace Tame to use the media attention surrounding a resurfaced image of her sitting beside a bong to send a message about mental health and drug use.

Dr Carr-Gregg said the image — which resurfaced on Monday — could send a message to young people about seeking help when dealing with mental health issues.

The Instagram image was reportedly taken in 2014 and was published on Monday by The Daily Mail.

“I don’t think it’s a reflection on her now, or on her work, but now that it is out I think it would be good for her to come out as the former Australian of the Year and send a message to young people on cannabis use, particularly given the devastating toll it has on their mental health,” Dr Carr-Gregg told 3AW's Neil Mitchell on Tuesday.

'Glamourising' drug use could be a side-effect: Dr Carr-Gregg

The image showed the then 19-year-old Ms Tame smiling as she sits on a couch with a large water bong, typically used to smoke marijuana. A man sitting next to her seems to be rolling a joint. The image does not show her using the bong and there is no suggestion she did.

Dr Carr-Gregg described the photo as "very unfortunate" adding it was most likely designed to discredit Ms Tame's work, but doesn't think it's a "reflection on now".

“I think for some young people it could normalise, glamourise and potentially sanitise the use of marijuana and that is not, obviously, the intention of Grace Tame … but I think that could be a side-effect," Dr Carr-Gregg explained.

"I think it'd be wonderful if she could use her celebrity to come out and send a really strong message that particularly if you are the victim of sexual, physical or emotional abuse, that the answer does not lie in smoking marijuana," he said.

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"I think she's done a lot of really good work. And I think she's admired a lot of her generation. And this is all very disturbing, but I would love her to come out now with an anti-drug message."

Grace Tame responded to the picture on Tuesday, seemingly unbothered by it.

"Alright, I confess, we were doing a cover of 'April Sun in Cuba'. On the oboe," she tweeted on Tuesday, referencing Prime Minister Scott Morrison who was heavily mocked last week after a clip of him playing the song April Sun In Cuba by New Zealand-Australian band Dragon on a ukulele went viral.

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