How To Do Schoolies Safely, While Still Having Fun (Because Fun Is Important)

Schoolies is just around the corner. Seriously, how excited are you?

It's a time for you to kick back with your mates and revel in the fact that you’ve literally made it through high school together. All the blood, sweat and tears have paid off. (Well, hopefully no blood. You get my drift though). It signals the end of one chapter and the start of the next. You’ve earned it, big time. So yeah, get (super) excited.

For heaps of you, schoolies might mark your first ever solo trip without the ol’ parental figures hanging around, so it certainly won’t feel like your typical family vacay. Your folks have probably already been through their “freak out” phase; now it's on you to honour your word that you’ll stay safe (and that you'll obey the legal drinking age limit - which is 18, obvs).

We jumped on the phone with Madi Jacobs, corporate affairs manager at DrinkWise, to get her two cents on how students can do schoolies safely.

Real talk: Don’t drink and drive and don’t get into a car with a drink-driver.

According to the DrinkWise website, there’s no absolutely safe level of alcohol consumption for competent driving. Even after just a few, your driving ability is affected.

Madi said that the most important thing is that the designated driver on the night “knows the importance of not having any drinks before getting behind the wheel."

“Everyone will be on their P-plates," she explained. "That means a blood alcohol content of zero… so no drinks at all.”

Another thing: If you’ve been drinking the night before, it’s still common to have alcohol in your system in the morning. “Driving in the morning is something you need to be conscious of," she said. "Also, fatigue can be real issue."

If you’re going away with a group of friends, chances are you’ll have the ability to split the responsibility of driving. It might not be fair to have one deso driver for the entire trip, so divvy it up and take it in turns.

If no one wants to be deso, or things don’t go to plan, Madi recommends having a backup option. “Make sure you’ve got the local number for a taxi; check out ride-sharing apps like Uber, public transport… just know what’s available in your area,” she advised.

Fill your parents in on the important stuff.

Yes, we know: annoying. But your parents are simply looking out for you. You don’t have to call and tell them that you’re going down the road to get groceries; just fill them in on any major movements. If anything were to happen they need to know your actual whereabouts.

“For parents, it’s a big thing to let you go off on your own," Madi said.

"It’s usually for most [schoolies] their first big trip alone… if you keep in contact with your parents, that’ll probably mean they’re less likely to nag you anyway.”

Before you leave, it’s a good idea to check these actions off your list:

1) Make sure your parents know contact details of one or two close friends you’ll be with, the address of where you’re staying and a general itinerary of where you’ll be during your trip.

2) Ensure some of the people you’re going away with have the contact details of your parents stored in their phone.

3) Make sure you actually keep your phone on you at all times. If you need more data, add it on. You’re always better safe than sorry. Maybe even bring a portable charger?

I don’t know about you, but I genuinely can’t remember phone numbers anymore because my phone does a much better job than I could. We can’t stress enough how important it is to have an avenue for communication in emergencies, so keep your beloved device charged up.

If you won't listen to me, listen to Drake.

Make sure the squad you’re going with is reliable.

What’s the point of going with a bunch of people you’re uncomfortable with? Schoolies is about living it up and having the time of your life.

“Logically go with people you know and people you know you can trust," Madi said.

“Going with good friends who you know will look out for you,” is super important, she added. “You’re in a strange place, and probably drinking more than you typically would.”

Listen to your body.

Don’t push yourself too much.

Madi recommends eating a lot of food before you go out to drink. According to the DrinkWise website, something heavy on the carbs is a good option. (Why yes, that is an excuse to eat gratuitous amounts of pasta and bread.)

Pace your alcohol intake and stay hydrated with non-alcoholic drinks; the old H2O is good for this.

Replenish yourself in the morning with a nutritious breakfast; something heartier than last night’s leftover corn chips.

“Sleep and time is all that will help to sober [you] up,” said Madi. (Sorry, there's no shortcuts or miracle cures here.)

Going overseas for your trip?

Surprise: Everything said above applies to you as well.

You've got a few extra responsibilities though. Yay for more responsibilities?

Madi recommends you get to know your stuff about local alcohol laws: “Find out what the legal drinking age is [there] because it could be different to Australia.”

“Take into consideration drink spiking… don’t take drinks from strangers and don’t leave your drinks unattended,” she also warned.

Finally, to avoid any potentially dangerous (or flat-out awkward) situations, have a good idea of what local laws and customs are. “The way we do things in Australia might not fly in other countries… you could get yourself in trouble,” Madi said.

Ahem.

You can find a bunch of information on Smart Traveller, so have a squiz at that if you haven't already.

If you're after some more information, check out DrinkWise's How To Drink Properly campaign. (Warning: Some videos have explicit language.)

Photo: iStock.com/wundervisuals