Gold Coast braces itself for Schoolies invasion

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This was published 14 years ago

Gold Coast braces itself for Schoolies invasion

The schoolwork's all done and dusted - and now they're about to start learning some real life lessons.

The Gold Coast is gearing up for Schoolies.

Scores have already arrived but the main tidal wave will hit the tourist strip on Friday afternoon, with up to 30,000 expected over the week.

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With four of his own children having been through Schoolies, chief lifeguard Warren Young has seen it all before.

"I guess I was like a lot of parents who gave them a little bit of instruction and hoped that through the grace of God they'd be all right for the week," he said.

"Hitting them over the head with a tonne of advice a week out isn't going to help much if you haven't been instructive all throughout their lives."

Mr Young said what scared him the most were the "silly little things", such as swimming after dark and diving into shallow water.

"Then you spend your whole life looking at the ceiling in a bloody hospital saying 'I want that split second back'," he said.

"We're just asking them to come and enjoy the wonderful Gold Coast and have the time of their life but we'd like to send them back home safely as well."

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While there won't be swimming patrols after dark, Mr Young said highly trained emergency response teams of lifeguards will be on call every night in case they're needed.

AMA Queensland president Dr Mason Stevenson has appealed to kids not to spend Schoolies in the ER.

But he doesn't believe the safety messages are getting through.

"They increasingly fall on deaf ears," he said.

"We have to accept the reality that teenagers/young adults push the boundaries, keen to explore options and take risks before settling down and before responsibility kicks in."

He said the effects of violent assaults, binge drinking, drug use, unwanted or unprotected sex and sun damage can have long-term health implications for teenagers.

"It's important they take responsibility for their own safety and remember they don't need to compromise their health to enjoy themselves and have a good time," Dr Stevenson said.

He also made a plea to parents not to misguidedly buy alcohol for their children.

"Parents need to be reminded of the stark statistics that four young Australians die every week due to alcohol-related events," he said.

AAP

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