Time for a Party Plan

By: Graham Readfearn   

An experienced bouncer says rules are necessary to help young people party safely, writes Graham Readfearn
ALTHOUGH it might not look like it, this man really does want you to drink, dance and have a great time.
After 25 years of working as a bouncer in New Zealand and Queensland, Andrew Alaelua says he’s seen “every kind of misery”.
There’s been young blood splattered on pavements, teenage girls getting hooked on party drugs and hundreds of teenagers with their senses lost in a hedonistic haze.
Alaelua hopes his experiences over the years can now help young people to get the best out of a night out — waking up in the morning with nothing more than a hangover.
“The average Aussie 18-year-old only knows the structure that they have had at school,” says the 44-year-old from Eagleby, south of Brisbane. “At school, no one gets hurt in fights and the teachers don’t punch back.”
Alaelua has developed a course called Party Smart, which aims to teach teenagers and young adults some basic rules of how to behave and what to watch out for when they go out to party. He also sells “night out” kits on his website, which include personal alarms and drink spike tests.
Despite what many young people believe, says Alaelua, having a fight or leading a guy on just for some free drinks isn’t an acceptable part of a night out.
“Things can go wrong very quickly — and it’s because young people either have no information or the wrong information,” he says.
Alaelua says many young people believe they have a legal right to enter a public bar, even though entry is at the discretion of the door staff.
He says many also have misconceptions about the right way to behave and end up in altercations unnecessarily — often with security staff at the entrance.
“We need to start educating young people about what life is really like. These really are beautiful people — they are young and they will have a great ride, but how many of them will get themselves into trouble along the way?” he says. “They can go out there and have a great time and maybe meet a girl or a guy — rather than finding themselves on the floor somewhere.”
When it comes to fights between revellers, Alaelua says simply not reacting to a taunt or asking security staff for advice can be enough to stop a minor problem escalating.
Alaelua has delivered a workshop to the Matthew Stanley Foundation, which was set up after the 15-year-old was killed in a bashing outside a party in the Brisbane suburb of Alexandra Hills in September last year.
Jess McCabe, 16, from Wellington Point on Brisbane’s southside, who attended the workshop, says the information was certainly not the kind of thing you would learn at school.
“He (Alaelua) spoke to us in a way that was really easy to understand — he was pretty straightforward,” she says.
Paul Stanley, Matthew’s father, says he thinks the concept of the Party Smart course is “fantastic”.
“Andrew really was talking their talk,” Stanley says. “I think Andrew has a great concept and the kids themselves said that it really made them think.
“Some of them who were not that long turned 18 said they wished they’d had that information before they started going out.”
(A 17-year-old male, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is due to be sentenced on November 16 after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Matthew Stanley.)
Since his son was killed, Paul Stanley has been raising funds for the foundation set up to cut youth violence.
Inspector Murray Ryan, of Queensland Police Service’s drug and alcohol co-ordination unit, says the No.1 piece of advice they give to young people is to drink responsibly.
“The data that we get from Queensland Health indicates that drinking patterns of young people are about — as some people describe it — binge-drinking. We would rather call it unsafe drinking.”
Ryan says anyone who is confronted with a threatening situation while on a night out should inform security staff or police.
“If they are not made aware of it, then they can’t take any action,” he says.
Ryan adds that young people should always be aware of their surroundings, and take a few seconds to look at where security staff are stationed.
Making sure that one member of your group is not drinking, so that they can help anyone who does get into difficulty, is another good technique.

Tips for safe parties from the Queensland Police Service through its Party Safe initiative: www.police.qld.gov.au
More information about Party Smart: www.partysmart.net.au. Price: $100 each, (or $100 for two parents).
Information about the Matthew Stanley Foundation: www.matthewstanleyfoundation.com.au
PARTY PULLS NO PUNCHES
A CUT the Violence street party to raise funds for the Matthew Stanley Foundation is being held on Sunday from 9am until 1pm on Doig St in Cleveland, on Brisbane’s bayside. Live bands, raffles, street performers, hot rods, muscle cars and sponsored hair cuts are among the attractions. Entry is free.