A mixture of alcohol, drugs and unsafe choices when you’re young can have a lifelong impact – a local man has warned this week.
Josh*, 22, has decided to speak up about his experiences as part of the Take It Easy campaign delivered by Youth Solutions and Campbelltown Catholic Club.
Josh hopes sharing his story will inspire other people to think twice about their actions and make safer choices on their nights out.
By the time he was 17, Josh had begun to binge drink, experiment with party drugs and get into drunken fights at parties; always wanting to protect his mates by stepping into a fight, even if it didn’t involve him.
“One year I turned up to family Christmas with a shoe imprint on my head from stepping in to protect a mate the night before. I couldn’t see straight and I had a massive headache, but I didn’t see anything wrong. It never occurred to me to step away from a fight,” Josh said.
“Another night, some of my mates got into a fight when gate crashers arrived at my friend’s birthday party and started causing trouble. I wasn’t involved in the fight that night, but I’d worked up enough of a reputation for being a fighter for everyone to assume I was in the middle of it.” In the early hours of the morning that followed there was a loud explosion at Josh’s family home.
Josh’s car had been chlorine bombed by one of the people involved in the fight.
His car exploded in the driveway.
In the years that followed, Josh said his parents and his two older sisters had become accustomed to greeting police at the front door.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“I was afraid when the police got involved. I didn’t know what was going to happen and it really stressed me out,’’ Josh said.[/social_quote]
“I remember my sister who’s a nurse saying to me, ‘Josh, every weekend I expect to see you or one of your mates being brought through to emergency because of all the fights you get yourselves in’, but I shrugged it off because I thought nothing would ever come of it.”
At 20, Josh had been given a 10 year ban from every licensed venue in the local area due to physical altercations with other patrons and security guards.
He now has a criminal record.
“It hit me hard. I can’t go out with my mates anymore, not even to celebrate someone’s birthday.
“I’ll be 30 before I can have a night out with my mates again.”
Josh said this was the wake up call he needed to change his behaviour, but the consequences didn’t stop there.
A year later, Josh was planning a trip to Vegas with his group of mates to celebrate his twenty-first birthday. Josh’s plans were halted when his visa waiver got denied due to his criminal record.
Josh flew over not knowing if he would be cleared through customs.
“You never think about how things are going to affect you in the future, and here I was, maybe not able to celebrate my birthday in another country because of a bad choice I made when I was younger. Hardly seemed worth it.”
Josh also said his behaviour has affected more people than just him.
“Not only did it damage my reputation, it tarnished my family’s name – and they’re good people.
“I feel ashamed, and I know my behaviour has shattered them.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”] “My message to other young people is that you don’t always have to be the toughest on a night out, you need to be the smartest.[/social_quote]
“Looking out for mates isn’t about getting into fights, it’s about walking away from bad situations and keeping each other safe.”
The Youth Solutions Take It Easy campaign urges young people to do just that.
The campaign highlights the importance of taking smart, positive steps to have a safe and good night out; including walking away from situations that make you uncomfortable and calling emergency services if something goes wrong.
The campaign focuses on reducing alcohol related harm to young people and the wider Macarthur community.
Youth Solutions chief executive officer Geraldine Dean thanked Josh for sharing his story and hoped it would serve as a lesson to other young people.
“The research shows that more often than not, alcohol is a major player when it comes to violent situations and fights,’’ Ms Dean said.
“We want to inform, educate and support our young people to make safer choices when drinking alcohol.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“This includes setting and sticking to your own limits so you can be in the right frame of mind to walk away from a confrontational situation rather than making a decision that could have a negative impact on the rest of your life.”[/social_quote]
For more information about the campaign visit the Youth Solutions website or connect with Youth Solutions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. To be mailed a resource pack, contact Amanda on 4628 2319 or email her at amanda@youthsolutions.com.au.
Upcoming Take it Easy campaign event stalls:
• Friday 20 November 2015 | Campbelltown Catholic Club | 7.45 – 10.00pm
• Saturday 21 November 2015 | Light Up Camden, Camden town centre, Argyle St, Camden | 4.00 – 9.00pm
• Friday 27 November 2015 | Campbelltown Catholic Club | 7.45 – 10.00pm
• Friday 4 December 2015 | Campbelltown Catholic Club | 7.45 – 10.00pm
• Friday 11 December | Campbelltown Catholic Club | 7.45 – 10.00pm
♦Youth Solutions is a health promotion and youth drug and alcohol prevention charity. For more information about Youth Solutions, or for drug and alcohol education, information, referral, or the current activities of Youth Solutions: (p) 4628 2319, (e) info@youthsolutions.com.au (w) www.youthsolutions.com.au.
∗ Josh is not his real name.
