Safe Partying

People love to party. If you’re thinking of having a party, attending a party, or having a night out, here are a few things to think about to make sure you have a great time. Getting together with friends, family, and even strangers can be incredibly fun!  Whether your party has alcohol (and other drugs) or not, good planning can make partying safer – leaving more time and energy to enjoy yourself!

It all comes down to two easy things:

Look after yourself & Look after your mates

Party At My House

Tick off these areas

• Plan the party with your family
• Use personalised written invitations with a clear start and end time. Ask for RSVP’s so you know how many guests are coming
• Get your guest’s parent/guardian permission to drink alcohol
• Recruit some adults to help run the party, give them the RSVP’d guest list
• Let your neighbours know about the party
• Buy plenty of different snacks and non-alcoholic drinks (try some mocktails!)
• Set up a food and drink area, don’t forget rubbish bins!
• Prepare a music list and fun activities. It’s great to be entertained
• Make signs for toilets, smoking areas and off-limits areas (secure valuables away)
• Prepare a sleeping area (in case someone can’t get home)
• Recruit a first-aid person, and put the first-aid kit in a handy area
• Remind your guests they will need to have organised a safe way to get home

Party Out & About

• Let someone you trust know where you’re going and when you expect to be back
• Phone checklist = battery, numbers, credit
• Arrive and leave the party with a friend 
• Have a ‘quick exit’ plan
• Work out how you’re going to get home
• Make sure condoms / dental dams are in-date and undamaged
• Eat before you go out & snack when out
• Plan how much you want to drink
• Drinks: make your own + keep an eye on it. Get a new one if you leave it alone
• Have non alcoholic drinks between drinks
• If you experiment with drugs, make sure you’re with a friend you trust and use a tiny amount first
• Avoid mixing drugs, including with alcohol or caffeine
• Pace yourself – the night is long!

If your mate gets sloshed…

If a friend is starting to get intoxicated, try to take action before they get drunk! Get them to slow their drinking down by offering them non-alcoholic beverages.

If they’re already drunk, get them to sit down so they don’t hurt themselves (or others). Try to prevent them from drinking any more alcohol. Keep a watch on them and get them safely home. Do call their parents if necessary.

The Law

In Australia, alcohol and other drug laws differ between states and territories.  Generally, alcohol is legal to buy and consume for people over the age of 18. 

In some states, people under 18 years may drink under adult supervision on private property with a parent or guardian’s permission.

Australia also has strict laws regarding drinking and driving. Learners and P Platers cannot have any alcohol in their blood at all when driving: they must have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.00. Fully licensed drivers cannot drive if they have a BAC of over 0.05.

Laws for other types of drugs (such as cannabis, party pills, etc.) vary by state and territory as well, but generally, they are illegal to buy, sell and possess – at all ages.

Mocktail Corner

There are so many great mocktail recipes. try this one

Pina Mockolada
This is a classic pineapple zero-booze version of the well known alcoholic drink.

Ingredients
Pineapple Juice………. 2/3 cup
Cream of Coconut….. 3 tbsp
Ice …………………………1 Cup

Pour all the ingredients into a blender and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Help and Info

If you’d like to speak to someone, local treatment services will be able to provide support for you and your family, and can answer any questions you may have about alcohol, withdrawal, and recovery.

• Medicines Line            1300 MEDICINE
• Get the effects by txt!  0439 TELL ME
  Simply text the name of the drug you want to know about
  
• tuneinnotout.com – youth website
• Youth Law Australia
• Parents, Elders and trusted friends
• GPs and Pharmacists
• Your Local Alcohol and Other Drug Services
  or look under A in the phone book 
• Fire, Ambulance, Police 000
• Lifeline Australia 13 11 14
• Kid’s Helpline 1800 55 1800
• Poisons Information Centre 13 11 26
• Family Drug Support a 24/7 service
  fds.org.au               or  1300 368 186
• CODE  Community Online Drug Education