Here’s a lovely article that I read with interest, then dismay: Drunk callouts swamp ambos. Did you know that Western Australia’s stretched ambulance crews are treating ten drunks a day?! I find this and other figures sobering. What a pity other people don’t! Lie of the land In WA, more than seven teenagers a week…
Swimming at my local outdoor pool, I heard two lifeguards discussing the previous day’s events (when the temperature topped 35 degrees Celsius). I thought a lifeguard’s role was to watch the water and keep people safe. Alas, it now seems the job description has changed. New breed As a teenager, few things beat hanging with…
Kids. They grow up so fast! Like to know how fast? A 24-year-old drives his kid brother to a girl’s twelfth birthday. The party’s in the well-heeled Melbourne suburb of Brighton. When the man returns to collect his brother several hours later, he sees pre-teens (i.e. children) staggering round the front yard, vomiting profusely on…
While Western Australia is in election mode, teen parties continue to cause havoc in the community – creating nights more terrifying than any Halloween. Yet this horror is well within our power to control. An ounce of prevention … I’ve always believed a proactive, preventative solution is far better than a passive reaction. To this…
There are some things you just don’t want to spend money on. Insurance, dental work and red-light camera fines spring to mind. These expenses sure ain’t fun, but failing to cover them can cost you a whole lot more down the track. Unfortunately, these days, security for your party is another ‘unfun-but-necessary’ purchase. I know…
As teen parties get bigger, riskier and more elaborate, host parents are finding there’s extra help at hand: other parents and responsible (i.e. mature, sober) adults. This is good news, as parents planning teen events need all the help they can get. They also need to realise some really important points. Key among these is…
In my view, an accident is something you have no control over. If, for instance: you’re driving a car; a large spider drops on you from behind the sun visor and you crash into a tree, that’s an accident. If, on the other hand: you’re rushing and driving at speed; you tailgate the car in…
As our communities struggle to cope with the rise of teen parties, we now have a popularity contest: 100 guests (or more) is the new way to be cool and hip! Yes, teen parties are getting bigger. I’m now regularly speaking to parents planning 150+ guest events for kids as young as 14! Yesterday I…
As I continue to lobby government stakeholders in relation to safe teen parties, yet more tragedy unfolds. Another young life wasted. A death that could have been avoided. Alcohol-related trauma is one of the biggest issues at teen events. My submission takes a holistic approach to its resolution. Sadly, it looks like it’s going to…
Moon madness Last Saturday night kept me and my staff very busy. I’m not sure what the moon was doing, but every party we handled had issues. Problems that would’ve turned very ugly had security not been present Ironically, the alcohol-free events were the most difficult. This was because gatecrashers targeted both. You wouldn’t believe…