PARTY program emphasizes thinking first

Times Contributor 

 

With 15- 24-year-olds most at risk to suffer major trauma, and 15 members of that age group across Canada dying each week from completely preventable injuries, the PARTY (Prevent Alcohol and Risk related Trauma in Youth) Program is trying to reach kids before they make dangerous decisions.

Thirteen members of Standard School’s Grade 9 class attended an all-day session of the PARTY program at the Foothills Hospital March 28 and were confronted with a cold dose of reality concerning the consequences decisions have.

Sue Zwicker RN, who has led this program for 4 years as well as worked in an emergency room for 23 years, took the students through a very full and fast paced day designed to get them to think and ask questions before crossing their ‘stupid line’: The ‘stupid line’ is what people cross between a good and bad decision involving risk, when they fail to “drive sober, wear the gear (protective equipment), get trained, buckle up, look first and seek help.”

So when Cole McCallum volunteered for an exercise to show and experience what it would be like to put on a hoodie with one arm paralyzed, Zwicker asked him what he did for fun (a common question of the various volunteers over the day). He answered that he rode quads, but when pressed admitted to not wearing a helmet. When asked why not he said helmets cost money. Zwicker then reminded him and the rest of the group the costs involved for someone who suffers spinal or brain damage (example, $5,000 for a plain wheel chair, possible home renovations, transportation and trouble getting a job) and noted that a helmet was a relatively inexpensive alternative, to say nothing of the pain and suffering that a helmet could prevent.

Calgary Police Service Constable Falk spoke to the group about driving safety drawing on his 27 years of experience, 16 of that in traffic. He told them that he attended 40 traffic fatalities in his career and 90 per cent of those were alcohol related.

“I drink, so I can’t very well stand up here and tell you not to drink,” said Falk. “But if you are going to drink decide when you are sober how you are going to get home safely and stick with that choice. Once a person starts drinking they don’t make good decisions.” 

Falk showed a variety of clips and commercials about impaired driving (meaning distracted driving as well as drunk driving) emphasizing the importance of paying attention and following the rules of the road when behind the wheel.

The day concluded with two survivors of trauma sharing their stories: Christine, whose fiancé was killed in a fight, and Aaron who struggles with the effects of brain trauma after his car was T-boned at an intersection by a distracted driver. 

These stories capped off a day designed to remind students how quickly a whole life can change in a matter of seconds as the result of a bad decision,  and to encourage kids to think before they act, hopefully reducing the number of preventable injuries and deaths for this age group.