Party Safe

Party Safe

Everyone enjoys going to or hosting a party. For young people it is certainly a part of growing up and celebrating special occasions with your friends. While most parties are fun for everyone involved, intoxicated guests or gatecrashers can sometimes ruin the occasion. This information provides some ideas to assist in holding successful, enjoyable and safe parties for everyone concerned including parents, hosts and guests.

There is also a Party Safe Registration Form (49Kb) so that party hosts can register their party with the local police. Registering your party will provide the police with details they need to know if they are called to your party to deal with an incident.

Party Safe for Parents

Here are some ways to ensure your child enjoys a safe party experience.

  • Speak with the party host and find out how many people will be attending the party, who and how many will be supervising the party, will alcohol be available, will food be served and what time the party is expected to finish.
  • Get the phone number of the house where the party is being held and/or the mobile phone number of the host.
  • Drop your child off at the party venue and arrange to pick them up at a certain time.

Party Safe for Hosts

Hosting a party at home or at a local venue can be great fun. You’ll want to have a night your guests will remember for all the right reasons. As a host, it is your responsibility to ensure your guests party safe!

  • Make entrance to the party by invitation only – this will discourage gatecrashers.
  • Make the start and finish time clear on your invitation.
  • Clearly state on your invitation if the party is no alcohol permitted, BYO (bring your own) alcohol or whether alcohol will be supplied. If you don’t allow people to BYO it is easier to control the amount of alcohol that is served.
  • As the host, you should not get intoxicated so that any problems can be dealt with effectively.
  • It’s your party and you have the right to ask people to leave.
  • Consider using a private security guard for your party. They can assist by politely asking uninvited or unruly people to leave. A guard can check attendees off a list as they arrive and stop any alcohol being brought into the venue if appropriate.
  • Arrange parental supervision or the presence of additional adults to help keep trouble to a minimum. Ensure adequate supervision around the swimming pool if necessary.
  • Let your neighbours know about your party in advance as this may reduce concerns about parking or noise later.
  • Keep noise to a minimum, especially after midnight, by looking at the position or direction of your sound system speakers. Excessive noise from your party can be reported to police, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Noise is the most common reason police are called to a party. Police may issue a noise abatement direction (NAD) after receiving a complaint about excessive noise and if another complaint is received within 12 hours of the first, police can seize and remove the property that is producing or contributing to the production of the noise. The seized property can be collected 24 hours later from the nearest police station.
  • Plan p what to do if a guest becomes sick or intoxicated.
  • Ensure your first aid kit is well stocked and easy to access.
  • Ensure access to a phone. Have emergency service numbers ready, just in case and taxi company numbers handy to assist with guests getting home safely afterwards.
  • Encourage parents to collect their children at the end of the party.

Being a Good Host

Providing the right food at your party can discourage excessive alcohol consumption. While food does not prevent intoxication, it does slow down the rate at which alcohol is absorbed into the body.

  • Ensure food and water are readily available for all guests throughout the party. Snacks high in protein and carbohydrates such as cheese, dips, crackers, chips, raw vegetables and seafood delay the absorption of alcohol.
  • Avoid serving too many salty foods, as these tend to make people thirsty and encourage them to drink more.
  • Serve food throughout the party to break up continual drinking. Have someone regularly take food around to your guests.
  • If using a BBQ, ensure adequate safety measures are in place to decrease the risk of burns or accidents.
  • If you are providing alcohol, limit full strength alcoholic drinks such as full strength beer, spirits, wine or champagne. Provide a good selection of lower strength drinks.
  • Have a wide variety and sufficient supply of non-alcoholic drinks such as non-alcoholic punch, mocktails, fruit juice or soft drinks.
  • Only serve alcohol from one area within your party and have a responsible adult serving the drinks. Discourage people from going around and topping up glasses as this makes it hard to keep track of how much alcohol they are drinking.
  • Stop serving alcohol about an hour before the party is to end. Serve hot drinks or non-alcoholic drinks along with a light snack, maybe some cheese and crackers, prior to your guests heading home.
  • It is your responsibility as a host to ensure the safety of your guests. It is not illegal to become intoxicated at a private function, but intoxicated people have less control and can be a danger to themselves and others around them. As the host, you may be legally liable and could be charged with civil negligence if a drunken guest causes damage to property or another person.

Party Safe Checklist

To help you party safe, the Queensland Police Service has compiled the following checklist when you are hosting a celebration.

  • Register your party, at least one week beforehand, at your local police station.
  • Have relevant telephone numbers available at the party, including the police, ambulance, taxi company and contact details for parents of young people attending.
  • Issue personal invitations that include start and finish times and are required for entry to the party.
  • Make decisions about alcohol use and let guests know on the invitation and at the start of the party.
  • Plan for adequate food and non-alcoholic drinks to be available for guests.
  • Ensure the venue for your party is suitably equipped for the number of people invited. Consider:
    • Size of venue
    • Seating and tables available
    • Adequate lighting in all areas
  • Ensure adequate adult supervision is available for the party. Ask other parents or friends to assist.
  • In the event of uninvited guests, advise them that they are not welcome and that you will contact the police if they do not leave. Have police phone numbers handy and register the party beforehand.
  • Supervise access to your home. Ensure all valuables are locked away and that any out-of-bounds areas are adequately secured.
  • Encourage guests to arrange their own transport to and from the party.
  • Advise your neighbours about the party beforehand.

No matter how careful you are, there is a chance that there will be some trouble at your party. You might be faced with verbal arguments between guests, people making excessive noise or even physical intimidation or violence. As a host, you have the right to set the standard of acceptable behaviour and ensure that it is maintained at your party.