P.A.R.T.Y program a timely reminder about drug, alcohol safety for students

More than 30 students from the Northern Beaches State High School will take part in crucial education provided by The Townsville Hospital tomorrow, which centres around the risks of partying, alcohol and drugs thanks to the internationally acclaimed Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) program.

The program aims to show young adults the consequences of poor choices in the hope that what they see and learn on the day will result in them never having to live through it themselves.

The Townsville Hospital’s trauma clinical nurse consultant Joe Sharpe runs the program at the hospital and said the messages were particularly timely for students entering their final years of high school.

“Students can feel bulletproof at their age and this program shows them very clearly that they are not,” Mr Sharpe said. 

“We have recently seen a lot of road trauma and had young people admitted for the effects of alcohol and drugs after a music festival, so we know that this information is crucial.

“The choices we make affect more than just ourselves and we hope that by giving them preventative education we can help to reduce the number of young people involved in trauma.

“This helps everyone from the individual, to their families and also the community.”

The sessions integrate real-time, anonymous voting from students on their party behaviours and also include sessions with police, fire, and ambulance staff as well as practical resuscitation scenarios, visits to Intensive Care and the Mortuary and demonstrations where students are shown how the loss of a limb could impact their life.

Students also have the chance to speak with injury survivor and volunteer Spinal Education Awareness team member Scott Stidston who talks candidly about his motorbike crash and the effect it had on his life.

“I went from being a very independent person, doing normal every day chores to now relying on everyone to assist with everything,” Mr Stidston said.

“It’s not the fact that I can’t walk that has impacted my life the most; it’s not being able to pick up my nieces and nephews or hug my family.

“Looking back, you don’t miss out on anything by obeying the road rules and not doing silly things in the vehicles with mates, but you can miss out on a lot if you do do those things.”

Mr Sharpe said the day was designed to shock students so that the messages mentionedwere carried through beyond them leaving the program.

“Students get a whole heap of information about the dangers of substance abuse, violence, and drink driving from schools, parents and the media but what we do through this hospital-based program is to anchor those messages in stark reality,” Mr Sharpe said.

“The day is supposed to be exhausting, it is supposed to be emotionally draining and for that we make no apology”.

Interested schools are encouraged to contact the state-wide coordination centre in Brisbane via: P.A.R.T.Y@health.qld.gov.au or call the P.A.R.T.Y Queensland administration on 07 3646 1591.

Contact: Public Affairs 4433 1016 | 0409 265 298