PARTY program gives Hinton AB students a reality check

Source: Hinton Parklander

ALBERTA - Previously run by the Boys and Girls Club in Hinton, the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth (PARTY) program is now being operated by the Community Crime Prevention Association.

Now in its 14th year, the program runs once yearly with a series of six to eight sessions of visceral presentations intended to warn about the effects of impaired driving.

"It takes a tremendous amount of work," says Site Coordinator Liana Thompson, "but once it's going on, it's a breeze."

Thompson works with all facets of the program such as lining up funders and keeping everybody in communication.

The program is put on for Grade 9 classrooms across the community, usually resulting in about 25 students per session.

Thompson has found the program to resonate not only with young adults, but also with people who have been driving for many years, among them including her own father. Adults are always encouraged to join a session.

"Last year," said Thompson, "my father of 71 came to work with me and attended a session. It dramatically changed the way he looks at impaired driving."

The PARTY program gets more popular every year.

Last year Jasper started its own with the help of people like Liana Thompson, who assists them in jumping the hurdles they need to in order to produce an effective program.

Edson is also now in the process of implementing such a program.

Internationally, the program is being done in Russia, China, Paris, and even Australia—the country with one of the lowest numbers in impaired driving per capita. A session involves many informative exercises, including a mock crash extrication by the Jr. Firefighters and a dramatic representation of the victim in the operation room after the fact. The program will next run early in April, 2010.

"We are always looking for extra help and if anyone is looking to attend, we'd love to have them," said Thompson. "It's a very vital program."