Careful party planning can stop this unwanted guest.
Yet more teenagers died this week.
Seven teens left a Halloween Party in a stolen car and came to grief.
Just 24 hours prior to this, a teenage girl left a party, opted not to get picked up by her parent and got into a boy’s car instead.
Now she’s dead too.
Incredibly, it seems people have forgotten the January 2010 tragedy where five kids died in a vehicle that left a party.
Alcohol was a factor in all these ‘accidents’.
But let’s rewind.
I’ve always believed that if you have adequate safety and security measures at a party, you can prevent tragedy.
You must manage all alcohol at an event, even if it’s BYO.
A host’s duty of care can also extend beyond the event.
Parents organising a party should take reasonable steps to establish how their teenage guests are getting home.
Even if these kids walk out of a party, the question must be asked.
At the very least, doing this may get kids thinking.
You may be able to persuade them take a taxi or wait for parents to collect them.
Managing all aspects of a teen party is extremely important.
If parents don’t have the skills and resources to manage a party properly, they should think about having professional crowd control to monitor and assist them.
By covering every base, we ensure the next teen party doesn’t end in tears.
Naomi Oakley, Founder, Safe Partying Australia.
