Year 11: P.A.R.T.Y Programme
P.A.R.T.Y Program Reflection
Jack Radford
The Prevention of Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth Program, otherwise referred to as the P.A.R.T.Y Program is a workshop made to educate young men, like ourselves, about the risks of alcohol consumption and drugs.
Initially, I had no clue as to what awaited at Royal Perth Hospital, and I think most of the boys didn’t either. We were first taken to a lecture room where we were given an overview of consequences of drinking and were spoken to by a member of St Johns, the ambulance service in Perth. Here we were told about the horrific experiences faced by paramedics as a consequence of drunk driving or inappropriate mobile phone use.
We were then split into two groups and were given a tour of the Emergency Department and the Intensive Care Unit. My group was the first to witness the Emergency Department. The Department was busy and hectic and, even as we were present, there was someone on their way in an ambulance. Aided with a mannequin, the chief doctor gave us a rundown of the procedures and steps taken to prepare patients for an operation once they have arrived in Emergency. This was overall an insightful experience, yet shocking. Then we were brought to the ICU where we met a patient who had been involved in a car crash two days before and described the painful experience of the accident and recovery. After, we were shown the equipment and procedures taken in Intensive Care; the catheter raised a few concerns among us boys.
After lunch, we returned to the lecture room and were talked to by men who were involved in life changing accidents due to being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. They described the challenges they faced in not only the recovery of their injury, but the challenges they now faced in everyday life. These personalised insights made me appreciate my health like never before.
As a cohort, there is no doubt that the experiences and lessons that were learned will have an impact on our future judgements and decisions. I certainly valued the experience of partaking in the P.A.R.T.Y program and I will do my best to prevent myself from being put in any situation where I am at risk.