Every year, thousands of Australian school leavers head overseas on holidays, for the rite of passage known as “schoolies”.It’s a moment when adventures begin for teens – and prayers are said by parents.For Michelle Jones, whose daughter Bianca never returned from her holiday to Laos, it is a bittersweet memory.“’It’s very very raw, especially at the departure entrance there where we said goodbye to our girls. Yep. Very raw, very upsetting.”Bianca Jones and her friend Holly Bowles died after consuming drinks laced with methanol at a backpackers’ hostel in the tourist town of Vang Vieng last November.Now their parents want other young people to know the dangers that come with travelling – and drinking alcohol – overseas.Holly’s mother Sam Bowles says they want to connect with other parents.“It resonates with us. What we’re trying to do is just get the message out to keep other travellers safe”The families are at the centre of a new safety campaign targetting school leavers, launched by the federal government at Melbourne airport’s international departure lounge.“Bianca and Holly were so excited about travelling overseas together. When Bianca first raised it with Mark and I, we were a little cautious, but also knew that travelling overseas with Holly was something that they had wanted to do and we were all confident about them traveling together. They were smart and they knew how to look after themselves.”The campaign provides teens and parents with practical advice on drinking in moderation, looking after friends, and the risks posed by unlabelled, cheap or suspicious drinks.“Be wary about consuming spirits and liqueur-based drinks such as cocktails on the rocks, buckets, and shots.”There is also guidance on how to get help if and when things do go wrong.It’s backed by the SmartTraveller website and not-for-profit group Drinkwise.
Messaging will include promotional events at airport departure lounges, and geotargeted advertisements reaching mobile phones, as DrinkWise CEO Simon Strahan explains.
” They’ll be seeing those messages in and around airports. They’ll be seeing those messages on social media when they’re searching for bars. It’ll come up as part of that search activity. In Australia, we’ll have those messages in liquor stores as well. We’ve got activations, that will be in airports, part of that will be actually engaging with school leavers, give them some merchandise, current reminders, and really start to talk to them.”With the end of the year fast approaching, the campaign is ramping up ahead of schoolies celebrations.Thousands of students are expected to travel locally and overseas, to popular party destinations like Bali, Fiji, the Gold Coast, and south-east Asia.Education Minister Jason Clare says the campaign is about reaching teenagers – wherever they are.“We want to have fun and we want them to be safe. We want them to come home safe, and that’s fundamentally what this campaign is all about – information online, on the plane, in the airport, text message, social media, but also getting information to schools.”
Despite a lengthy investigation by police in Laos and pressure from Australian authorities, no charges have yet been laid over the deaths of Bianca and Holly.
Michelle Jones and Sam Bowles remember their daughters’ excitement as they embarked on their adventure, but they are urging parents to talk to their children about remaining vigilant.MICHELLE JONES: “Parents should have the conversation and sit them down, before they go away.”
SAM BOWLES: “Make sure they know what to do if they do get sick – it’s only going to help save lives.”
