10,000 teenagers attend PARTY to learn risks

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

• 10,000th student attends award-winning risk aversion PARTY program
• Royal Perth Hospital injury prevention campaign marks 10 years
• $402,000 funding announced from the Road Trauma Trust Account 

This week marks the milestone of the 10,000th student to participate in the Liberal National Government's award-winning, internationally recognised PARTY program, which educates young people about the dangers of alcohol consumption and high-risk behaviour.

Health Minister John Day said 2016 also marked the 10th anniversary of the Royal Perth Hospital's (RPH) Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program which gave school students a reality check about what a trauma patient goes through.

"Students are encouraged to think: 'What if it happened to me?'. There is candid discussion about what choices they could make in a variety of situations to prevent themselves, their family or friends from being injured," Mr Day said.

Deputy Premier and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey today announced $402,000 from the Road Trauma Trust Account to fund the 2016-17 PARTY program, with a major focus on road safety.

"The PARTY program aims to get the next generation of motorists to recognise they must be thinking about road safety each time they get behind the wheel," Ms Harvey said.

"The program puts young people face to face with victims of road trauma, hearing about how their lives have been changed forever and, importantly, how simply making a better choice could have saved them from the consequences."

The Ministers and students today met Headwest Awareness Ambassador Nick Lonie, who suffered severe head injuries after falling from a utility during a beach party.

"Thanks to survivors like Nick and the dedication of the RPH trauma team, the program highlights the stark reality of how quickly what seems like a good time can go bad," Mr Day said.

"The ultimate aim is to teach young adults to recognise risks and make informed choices about their activities and behaviours."

In addition to the program at RPH, outreach and rural programs have been developed, tailored to provide targeted preventive education in response to community demand.

Fact File

• Research shows PARTY program attendance is associated with a change in youth attitudes and a significant reduction in risk-taking behaviour
• It originated in Canada in 1986 and has been running weekly at RPH since 2006
• Rural satellite programs have run in Bunbury and Albany
• In 2016-17, a record $148.5 million from the Road Trauma Trust Account is targeting road safety