As end of year celebrations reach their peak, Youth Solutions’ annual campaign urging young people to lead by example and start the trend of partying safely is in full swing.
Delivered in partnership with Campbelltown Catholic Club, the Party Safe Home Safe campaign was launched last month with the aim of supporting young people in Macarthur and Wingecarribee to take positive steps to make their festive celebrations safer.
The campaign has already engaged with hundreds of young people across the region, providing them with the information and support they need to keep safe when heading out, celebrating or drinking alcohol.
As Christmas and New Year approach the campaign’s messages are becoming particularly important, while its multimedia strategies and community engagement activities will continue through to January
“At this time of year it is particularly important for us to continue to provide the information and support young people need to celebrate safely,” says Youth Solutions chief executive officer Geraldine Dean.
“We want young people take part in celebrations that are safe, fun and memorable for all the right reasons.
“This means we need to foster a community where safe celebrating and safe alcohol consumption are the social norm and people’s individual limits are respected.”
Campaign coordinator Amanda Dillon said: “We are calling upon everyone to lead by example and start the trend for safer celebrating.
“We want our young people to party safe and get home safe every single time they celebrate.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“This can be achieved by taking simple steps to make celebrating safer, such as planning a safe way home, looking out for your mates, knowing and sticking to your limits when drinking alcohol and respecting the limits of your mates,” Ms Dillon said.[/social_quote]
Some of the top Party Safe Home Safe tips for safer celebrating include:
• Always keep your drinks with you.
• If you are drinking alcohol, keep track of how much you’ve had and know your limit.
• Remember, you can have a great time without drinking alcohol or without drinking too much.
• Starting to feel the effects of alcohol? Sit out a round, drink water, eat some food and stay with your mates. Consider calling it quits early if you need to and get home safely.
• Always tell someone where you are going and plan a safe way there and home.
• If you get stuck, call someone you trust to pick you up and only accept lifts from someone you know who hasn’t been drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
• Stick with your friends, look out for one another and make sure everyone gets home safely.
• If a friend gets sick or passes out, call Triple Zero (000) for an ambulance and tell ambulance officers if your friend has had alcohol or drugs as it helps them to provide the right care. Calling and ambulance could save your friend’s life.
This month, in support of the campaign, Campbelltown Catholic Club will launch a special initiative to provide free soft drink to all patrons who sign up as a designated sober driver on Friday and Saturday nights throughout December and January. Simply sign up at the club’s front sign-in desk to be issued a wrist band entitling the wearer to free soft drink all night.
In line with the Party Safe Home Safe campaign, Youth Solutions has already distributed hundreds of Safer Celebrations Guides, containing practical safer celebrating tips, at community events and via Campbelltown Catholic Club stalls. The campaign messages are also reaching audiences on social media, were shared with young people in the region’s schools and have been displayed at local McDonald’s restaurants and at the Macarthur Square shopping centre.
The campaign’s core messages continue to be shared via the Party Safe Home Safe video which can viewed online here.
