It’s a week of relaxing, spending time with friends, enjoying the summer sun and letting your hair down.
Following a stressful few months of tests and exams, thousands of year 12 students across Western Australia are preparing for this year’s Leavers week.
Most students will descend on Dunsborough and Rottnest Island ahead of official celebrations from Monday, November 19 to Thursday, November 22.
And police are urging schoolies to have a fun time, but have a safe time.
Mandurah Police Station officer in charge Senior Sergeant Darren Hart said he encouraged leavers to “make good decisions”.
“If you’re on the road or at a celebration, be aware of your surroundings, make good decisions and look out for your friends,” he said.
“For those that don’t want to do the right thing and draw our attention, they may well find themselves in our accommodation.
“I’ve seen some of the Google reviews and they aren’t great so that’s probably something you want to avoid.”
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But the Senior Sergeant said the main aim of police presence was to ensure students celebrating, did so in a safe way.
“Absolutely we want the kids to have a good time, that’s the whole point of it,” he said.
“They’ve worked hard leading up to this and they deserve to relax and enjoy each other’s company and have a celebration.
“But it’s important that it is a positive celebration and that everyone is looking out for each other.”
If you’re on the road or at a celebration, be aware of your surroundings, make good decisions and look out for your friends.
- Senior Sergeant Darren Hart
The police message comes as the state government launched a new campaign in the lead up to this weekend’s Leavers celebrations, urging parents to restrict their children drinking alcohol until they are legal.
Part of the Alcohol. Think Again program, the campaign asks parents not to give alcohol to their underage teenagers.
It aims to help parents and guardians navigate the difficult journey with their child and reduce the level of alcohol-related harm and ill health across WA.
Following on from the announcement in June of a ban on alcohol advertising on public transport, the new television, online, cinema and social media adverts use the voices of teenagers to encourage parents to say 'no' to their children asking for alcohol before 18 years of age.
Health Minister Roger Cook said the campaign reinforced that most parents do not provide alcohol to their children.
"We have all seen or heard about the negative effects alcohol can have on the minds and bodies of teenagers,” he said.
“As school leaving celebrations approach we want to ensure our vulnerable young people are not exposed to extra risk and unnecessary harm.
"We want to see our younger generation thrive, that's why no alcohol is the safest choice for under 18s.”
For more information on this weekend’s Leavers celebrations across the state, visit the Leavers website.