Parents, on the other hand, may be less excited and wondering how to strike a balance between letting their youngsters have fun while being safe.
Next week Red Frogs will be springing into action in Central Otago talking to parents in two sessions — at Dunstan High School and Cromwell College.
Red Frogs spokeswoman Shannon Thomson said the group already worked with students, especially at Otago and Lincoln universities, talking at halls of residence about keeping themselves and their friends safe.
They were extending their education programmes to included secondary school students and their parents with funding from Health New Zealand’s alcohol harm community action fund.
Parents were often blase about their children heading off to Wānaka or Queenstown for New Year’s Eve saying that was what they had done, but times had changed with social media and other drugs more readily available.
"But you don’t know what you don’t know," Mrs Thomson said.
Next week parents would be able to hear from Red Frogs ways to ensure young people had a good time but arrived home suffering no more harm than a sore head.
Mrs Thomson said there simple steps to take to make sure New Year’s Eve, camping trips and other summer events went well.
"Making sure they have food, checking in with them and being available if they need help or picked up."
Everyone was welcome even if their children did not attend with school and it could be helpful for grandparents or extended family hosting young people for the summer.
Red Frogs had been present at New Year’s Eve in Queenstown and Wānaka for 10 years and will once again this year be providing a Chill Out/Safe Zone and roaming teams at the holiday hotspots.
The response is a collaborative partnership between Queenstown Lakes District Council, police and emergency services to help safeguard young people during the New Year’s festivities.
In the past decade more than 100,000 young people had been supported and more than 1200 directly cared for — that is care and comfort provided, walked to safety, parents and emergency services called, hair held back as they vomited, sat with while they slept and more.
This year more than 60 volunteers were coming from all around NZ and Australia with operations based out of Queenstown Memorial Hall and Lake Wānaka Centre, Mrs Thomson said.
Red Frogs began in Australia and was growing throughout New Zealand.
Their programmes were a direct response to their mission: to combat the Kiwi party culture that is largely dominated by alcohol and other substances, often leading to dangerous and life-altering behaviours for young people.
The aim of their programmes was to provide early intervention strategies to reduce the risk of harm, including being a positive peer presence in alcohol-fuelled environments where young people gather, educate young people on safe partying behaviours and promote and provide alcohol-free and/or diversionary activities that engage young people in these environments.
