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Several parents across Shawnee might have found it a bit harder to sleep Wednesday after attending a Reality House Party presented by Gateway to Prevention and Recovery and the 2Much2Lose Initiative.
“There are a lot of parents having heart palpitations across the state at what they are seeing at these ‘parties,’” Jan Tipton, director of training and prevention for Gateway, said.
The “party” portrayed various realistic scenes that one would encounter if attending a teenage drinking party in Shawnee and incorporated the talents of several Shawnee High School students serving as actors and actresses for the evening.
While at a home on the city’s east side, small groups of adults participated in 25-minute tours that depicted activities that occur at actual parties attended by area youth. They were guided by SHS junior Rijul Gupta who explained the scenes and the dangers associated with each.
Although 18 sites across Oklahoma hosted similar events Wednesday, the House Reality Party in Shawnee was altered to address the types of drinking games and other events that occur at local parties. Gateway to Prevention learned what these local activities were by talking to teenagers who had either attended real parties or had heard about them from friends and classmates.
Members of the Shawnee Police Department, including Cpl. Dan Shumaker and Cpl. Sean Parsons, provided security at the party and participated in some of the scenes depicted. They also shared information during a skit about the city’s social host ordinance and the $500 fine that can be issued if someone violates the ordinance.
Gateway to Prevention staff were also on-hand at the party to provide supervision and to assist in the debriefing and education provided at the end of each tour.
Scenarios depicted in the tour included a fight scene, drinking game scenes, a drug abuse scene, scenes of possible alcohol poisoning, the portrayal of a teen searching for drugs in a medicine cabinet and more.
One scene involved the “mother” of the house, who gave various excuses for why the teens were having the “alcohol-only” party at her home. In this scene, the “mother” displayed a bowl containing keys and said all of the teens were safe because she was home with them to ensure “nothing bad” happened.
During the scene, Parsons knocked on the door and upon entering, informed the woman that she “could be arrested” for hosting the “party.” As he was describing the legal ramifications, some of the student actors ran into the room screaming, “he’s not breathing, he’s not breathing,” to symbolize the reality of passing out or dying from alcohol poisoning or drug overdose.
Adults who attended the party stood speechless at times while listening to the actors interact and while watching the activities.
After the tour, parents were given the opportunity to meet with Gateway to Prevention professionals, along with SPD officers for a debriefing, which allowed them to talk about what they learned.
One parent said although the event was a simulation, it did appear very real to her.
“What I just saw is really sickening, scary, sad,” she said. “You can lose your child, thinking they are just out having fun. It’s really sad, an eye opener.”
The woman said she moved to the U.S. 12 years ago and that, as an adult, the freedoms she has are good for her, but for young people, sometimes the freedoms are “not so good.”
Among the lessons learned by those attending the simulation were that adults should not only “lock up the liquor, but lock up the medicine cabinet, too.” Other lessons included ways teens obtain alcohol and drugs, reasons parents give for hosting parties at their homes, and how teens might bring things to a non-alcoholic party without an adult knowing.
For more information about this and other Gateway projects, call 273-1170 or visit www.gatewaytoprevention.org.
Several parents across Shawnee might have found it a bit harder to sleep Wednesday after attending a Reality House Party presented by Gateway to Prevention and Recovery and the 2Much2Lose Initiative.
“There are a lot of parents having heart palpitations across the state at what they are seeing at these ‘parties,’” Jan Tipton, director of training and prevention for Gateway, said.
The “party” portrayed various realistic scenes that one would encounter if attending a teenage drinking party in Shawnee and incorporated the talents of several Shawnee High School students serving as actors and actresses for the evening.
While at a home on the city’s east side, small groups of adults participated in 25-minute tours that depicted activities that occur at actual parties attended by area youth. They were guided by SHS junior Rijul Gupta who explained the scenes and the dangers associated with each.
Although 18 sites across Oklahoma hosted similar events Wednesday, the House Reality Party in Shawnee was altered to address the types of drinking games and other events that occur at local parties. Gateway to Prevention learned what these local activities were by talking to teenagers who had either attended real parties or had heard about them from friends and classmates.
Members of the Shawnee Police Department, including Cpl. Dan Shumaker and Cpl. Sean Parsons, provided security at the party and participated in some of the scenes depicted. They also shared information during a skit about the city’s social host ordinance and the $500 fine that can be issued if someone violates the ordinance.
Gateway to Prevention staff were also on-hand at the party to provide supervision and to assist in the debriefing and education provided at the end of each tour.
Scenarios depicted in the tour included a fight scene, drinking game scenes, a drug abuse scene, scenes of possible alcohol poisoning, the portrayal of a teen searching for drugs in a medicine cabinet and more.
One scene involved the “mother” of the house, who gave various excuses for why the teens were having the “alcohol-only” party at her home. In this scene, the “mother” displayed a bowl containing keys and said all of the teens were safe because she was home with them to ensure “nothing bad” happened.
During the scene, Parsons knocked on the door and upon entering, informed the woman that she “could be arrested” for hosting the “party.” As he was describing the legal ramifications, some of the student actors ran into the room screaming, “he’s not breathing, he’s not breathing,” to symbolize the reality of passing out or dying from alcohol poisoning or drug overdose.
Adults who attended the party stood speechless at times while listening to the actors interact and while watching the activities.
After the tour, parents were given the opportunity to meet with Gateway to Prevention professionals, along with SPD officers for a debriefing, which allowed them to talk about what they learned.
One parent said although the event was a simulation, it did appear very real to her.
“What I just saw is really sickening, scary, sad,” she said. “You can lose your child, thinking they are just out having fun. It’s really sad, an eye opener.”
The woman said she moved to the U.S. 12 years ago and that, as an adult, the freedoms she has are good for her, but for young people, sometimes the freedoms are “not so good.”
Among the lessons learned by those attending the simulation were that adults should not only “lock up the liquor, but lock up the medicine cabinet, too.” Other lessons included ways teens obtain alcohol and drugs, reasons parents give for hosting parties at their homes, and how teens might bring things to a non-alcoholic party without an adult knowing.
For more information about this and other Gateway projects, call 273-1170 or visit www.gatewaytoprevention.org.
