Paul Dillon

On Wednesday 20 February, Paul Dillon addressed the Years 10, 11 and 12 students about drugs and alcohol, as well as about 80 parents on the same night.

Paul Dillon has been working in the area of drug education for the past 30 years and has been speaking at Emanuel School for at least the past seven years. He has worked with many school communities to ensure that they have access to good quality information and best practice drug and alcohol education.

Paul is a most accomplished speaker, who through his clever storytelling, brings the dangers of drugs and alcohol alive. He adapts his talk to the audience and each different school, including a discussion about Byron Bay at the end of Year 11, instead of Schoolies at the end of Year 12. He explained that sending Year 11 students to Byron Bay, unaccompanied, is not only irresponsible but illegal, and that the Byron Bay Police have been informed of this practice and monitor it very closely each year. Never once does he tell the students “Don’t do it”, but he educates them.

For the students, he cleared up some fallacies:

• Bread does not soak up alcohol, instead it is difficult to chew and may cause choking
• A cold shower does not sober you up, instead you end up with a wet, drunk friend
• Nor does jogging around the block
• Nor does copious glasses of water.

He explained the only thing that works is time, and if you are really worried about your friend, look after them with the Chair Test, a bucket and a cloud of tissues. He advised the students that if they were to drink, their first drink should be a large glass of water and a fistful of food like pasta or rice an hour and a half before.

Paul explained to the Year 12 students their rights and responsibilities regarding RBTs, including a probationary breath test which may be followed by an evidentiary breath test. He also talked about MDTs and the consequences of having any police record on future travel plans or job prospects.

I spoke to some students as they left his presentation. Most of them were buzzing with the excitement of the new information they had heard.

He’s amazing. I really like listening to him. Everything he says is true and what we need to hear. I really admire him. Year 11 student

Once again Paul Dillon was incredible. I learnt so many things I didn’t know before, like the police will stop a P plate driver for anything just so they can breath test them. Thanks for inviting him back.  Year 12 student

Last week, Paul Dillon shared his extensive knowledge about teenage drug and alcohol use with us. His charismatic and entertaining nature engaged us all, and we learned how to keep ourselves and our peers safe. We can’t wait until next time! Year 11 students

Caroline Laumberg, Year 12 Co-ordinator