Around drugs

Schoolies is an exciting time, it's a time to have fun. It's a great you know, exciting time to be leaving school and getting out on your own.

But also, it's really important just to make some smart choices around, particularly around alcohol and drug use. In terms of alcohol I think that people need to make sure that they pace themselves, that they, if they are drinking - if they do choose to drink that they drink slowly, that they look after their friends particularly if they're intoxicated.

The Queensland Ambulance Service would like to just remind all school leavers that alcohol is actually still considered a drug. Although it's an acceptable drug in the Australian culture, it still does have detrimental impacts to your health and wellbeing - both in the immediate term with excessive consumption in one night, long-term use can then lead to further health problems.

Again, if you're thinking about drinking while at Schoolies, we probably ask you to consider what you're drinking history has been like in the past. If you've never had a drink, it might not be the best time to start when you're in a new environment.

In terms of drugs, there's no safe level of drug use. Unfortunately the drugs that people are buying that you don't know where they come from, so unlike prescription drugs that you get from a pharmacy, these are drugs aren't made in your best interest - they're made by people who are interested in making money so, unfortunately we don't know exactly what's in them and you can have some significant side effects.

Particularly with drugs and pill taking, the effects on different people can be very different and the drugs themselves can be very different as well, again there's no standard dose to these drugs so, some people can go out and have a bit of a fun time, some people can be left you know very unwell and you know, deeply unconscious.

When the Ambulance Service talks about illicit drugs, we're also talking about misuse of prescription medications.

Prescription medications and alcohol often don't mix, the effects of the prescription drugs can be changed with the introduction of alcohol so again, if the medication isn't designed for you and hasn't been scripted to you, you shouldn't be taking it, and if you are on prescription medications to see your GP before you attend Schoolies and just have a talk to with your doctor about what the effects may be.

The other risk with drug and alcohol is the disinhibition that you get from it, so it does lead to you doing more risky behaviours.

Your level of ability to you know, judge risk gets reduced so, and you're already at an age where risk-taking is part of growing up so I guess that means that you can sort of get yourself into trouble and get yourself into situations that you wouldn't normally do if you hadn't had that mix of drug and alcohol.

If your plan was to not drink and not to take illicit substances, we applaud that decision. Stay true to your beliefs and values in that regard, and if you feel pressure, do seek help and support. If you're concerned about the wellbeing of a friend, if they're passed out or unconscious or even just appear to be sleeping too heavily because you believe they might be under the influence of drugs or illicit substances, don't be concerned about calling the Queensland Ambulance Service. We're not the Police. We're there to help and we would much rather come and find out that there is nothing wrong than to find out later that there was some major issues that we could have prevented that might cause some permanent harm to the person.

Calling the Ambulance isn't the end of your Schoolies.

We're not the Police. We're not going to prosecute or judge you or your friends for the decisions that you've made, we're just there to make sure that you go home safe to your families.