We enjoy a great life in our wonderful country. The weather is good, our economy is strong, and we’re generally optimistic and confident. We appreciate the good things in life and recognise how lucky we are.

However, our relaxed lifestyle has also led to a strong drinking culture. Australia is one of the top countries struggling with the problem of excessive alcohol use, and it’s a difficult issue to solve.

For teenagers, making good choices about alcohol can be tough. Not only is drinking a big part of the culture, but there’s also peer pressure to deal with. Surprisingly, some parents seem to tolerate, encourage, and even pay for or pressure their kids to drink heavily.

This has created the wrong idea that formals require you to get drunk. This is a bad and harmful belief that can ruin a special opportunity to make great memories at an important time in your life.

In most of the United States, you have to be 21 to drink legally. Australia used to have the same rule, and for good reason. Scientists have found that the human brain isn’t fully developed until around age 20. During the teenage years, drinking a lot of alcohol can cause lasting damage.

The teen years are a time for discovering who you are, becoming more independent, and reaching your physical peak. You might feel like nothing can hurt you, which is normal. But it’s important to realise that bad things can happen to you just like anyone else, no matter how old you are.

Alcohol greatly affects two important abilities: thinking clearly and making good judgments, and being able to do everyday tasks. At the same time, it makes you feel overly confident. When you’re drunk, you might have trouble walking, talking, and thinking straight, but still believe you’re better than everyone else.

A formal event takes a lot of planning, saving, and careful decisions. You’ve spent time and money on the perfect place, outfit, and everything else. So why risk ruining it by drinking too much?

Here’s what can go wrong if you drink too much at your formal:

• Starting an argument or getting upset before the event.
• Falling down and ruining your outfit or getting hurt.
• Being turned away at the entrance by security.
• Tripping in your new heels, breaking your heel, your ankle, or your reputation.
• Making a fool of yourself in front of your friends, creating a memory you’d rather forget.
• Getting into a fight and getting hurt or kicked out.
• Feeling sick and throwing up.
• Worst of all, not remembering anything about the night.

It’s just not worth it. You might be thinking:

• “I drink all the time and know my limit.”
• “I can handle it, no problem.”
• “My friends will take care of me.”
• “My parents say it’s a normal thing to do.”
• “What could possibly go wrong at MY formal?”
• “These things only happen to other people.”

In our 35+ years of organising teen events, we’ve heard teenagers say these things many times. And we’ve seen many of them end up crying in bathrooms, being escorted out of events, or ending up in hospitals, police stations, or other bad situations. In every case, alcohol was involved.

Here are the main ways that misusing alcohol can ruin your formal night:

• “Pre’s”: Drinking before the formal.
• Sneaking Alcohol In.
• Buying alcohol at the formal.

Drinking at someone’s house before the formal has become a common tradition. Having a glass of wine or champagne with your parents a couple of hours before is fine, but drinking too much or going to another place to drink between the pre-event and the formal is asking for trouble. If you arrive drunk, there’s a 99% chance you won’t be allowed in. Those aren’t good odds when your whole formal experience is on the line.

Trying to sneak alcohol into the event is even riskier. Security is good these days, so you have less than a 3% chance of succeeding. If you’re caught, and that happens to 97% of people, 80% of those people will be denied entry. Those odds are even worse than arriving drunk.

Buying alcohol at the event also has its problems. Over 70% of formal venues don’t serve alcohol, and those that do are very careful about watching for signs of drunkenness. They keep a close eye on everyone and will quickly remove anyone who isn’t following the rules. Losing their liquor license would be a disaster for the venue, so they won’t risk it for anyone.

Even after all this, we’re not saying you can’t drink at all. If you normally drink, feel free to have a drink. We understand wanting to relax. But your formal only happens once. If there’s ever a time to avoid alcohol, this is it. No other night in your teenage years is as important and delicate as this one.

Don’t ruin your chance.