The P.A.R.T.Y. (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) Program is a one-day, in-hospital, injury awareness and prevention program for youth age 16 and older. Developed in 1986 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, this program is a vital component of the growing community effort to reduce death and injury in alcohol, drug and risk-related crashes and incidents.
The goal of P.A.R.T.Y. is to provide young people with information about trauma (injury) that will enable them to recognize potential injury-producing situations, make prevention-oriented choices, and adopt behaviours that minimize unnecessary risk. Twice weekly during the school year, the P.A.R.T.Y. program is offered to groups of 35-40 students, accompanied by a teacher or adult leader.
Students follow the course of injury from occurrence, through transport, treatment, rehabilitation and community re-integration. They interact with a team of health care professionals and EMS that includes a paramedic, a police officer, nurses, a physician and social worker.
The students are given information about:
The P.A.R.T.Y. team also includes people who have been injured, some still in acute care, others in rehabilitation, and some returned home. They provide a personal perspective on the challenge of dealing with injury and "putting one's life back on track."
The program concludes with a challenge to the participants to become individually and collectively committed to promoting behaviours and activities that minimize the risk of injury. Students report that the experience is "eye-opening and positive", and "a must for all young people".