(HURON COUNTY, ON) - This weekend marks an exciting and memorable occasion for numerous high school students throughout Huron County. Hundreds of local students will be taking part in prom parties and graduation celebrations starting tonight with the Central Huron Secondary School (CHSS) prom followed by St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School and South Huron District High School proms tomorrow.
Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is reminding all graduates to keep safety in mind when attending prom activities and after-party celebrations. After-prom parties sometimes include alcohol and/or drugs which can lead to situations where teens expose themselves to unnecessary risks, both legal and health related. Quite often decisions made under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs lead to dangerous situations that can cause serious injury and death.
Huron County OPP reminds all parents and caregivers to be aware of after-prom risks, particularly those hosting after-prom parties. Property owners need to be aware of their civil liability for anyone that gets injured on their property. Police want to make it very clear that unsupervised after-prom parties including "field/bush parties" are unsafe environments for anyone. Police are often called to investigate criminal reports of assault, drug and alcohol offences, sexual assaults, thefts, mischief and other related crimes stemming from these types of unsupervised parties.
Police encourage parents and caregivers to speak with young people about the associated dangers of attending such events. For those who choose to attend or host one of these parties - be prepared for an increase in police presence as officers will be nearby conducting Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E) checkpoints in an effort to deter those from making the inexcusable decision to drive while impaired.
Teens have every reason to celebrate this milestone in their life however it should be done in a safe and responsible manner. Huron County OPP wishes all graduates best of luck with their future endeavors.
Further Information and tips on how to host a safe grad party can be found at www.madd.ca