Stay Safe during Schoolies

ParaQuad NSW today wished all HSC students a happy Schoolies, at the same time urging them to stay safe.

"Schoolies is a great time to unwind after the pressure of exams, and to enjoy the company of mates," CEO of ParaQuad, Greg Smith, said. "But it's important to do that safely, and not to be pressured into taking risks, or letting drink make your decisions."

Robert Gallagher did just that.

"I was with my mates at a party, and had God knows how many drinks. I had driven go-karts for about nine years, and never taken them on the road. After drinking heaps, I took one out. My mates tried to stop me, but I was a man on a mission. I did two laps, spun round and went into the back of a bus."

He is now in a wheelchair.

"We see too many cases of spinal cord injury happening with young people taking risks: people between 15-34 years of age have the highest incidence of spinal cord injury, with the greater majority of these, 79 per cent, being men.

"There are 300-400 new cases reported each year, most of which are permanent. Prevention is the only cure," Greg Smith explained.

Forty-one per cent of spinal cord injuries result in paraplegia (a back injury: the partial or complete paralysis of the lower portion of the body, including the legs; while 59% result in quadriplegia [tetraplegia] (a neck injury: the partial or complete paralysis of the upper and lower portion of the body, including legs, trunk, arms and hands).

Causes and Contributing Factors:

Transport-related accidents (motor vehicle, motor cyclists and pedestrians) account for 45 per cent of all spinal cord injuries, with falls the next highest, at 34 per cent. Sports-related injuries (contact sports such as rugby; snow sports; surfing and diving) comprise 13 per cent of the total.

Source: Cripps RA 2004. Spinal cord injury, Australia, 2002.03. Injury Research and Statistics Series Number 19. Adelaide: AIHW (AIHWcat no. INJCAT 58).

ParaQuad NSW is a charitable, member-based association which fills a gap by providing vital lifelong support for people with a spinal cord injury. For over 40 years ParaQuad has provided vital care, support and clinical services to people with spinal cord injuries, their families and carers.

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Media enquiries:

Margo Marchbank, ParaQuad NSW on (02) 8741 5627 or 0415 040 428

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