Drunk.
On the piss.
Maggot.
Getting on the goon.
Smashed.
Hammered.
Getting fucked up.
(MID-TEMPO ELECTRONIC MUSIC)
Captions by Able.
When you're growing up,
there are a lot of temptations
around drugs and alcohol.
So it can be difficult to say no
entirely to some of that stuff,
but if you are thinking about it
or experimenting,
then there are some things
that you should know.
It's illegal to do drugs
in New Zealand,
and it's illegal to buy alcohol
if you're under 18.
There are some exceptions,
like if you're out at a meal
with your parents and
they buy you a drink.
But honestly, the rule of thumb is -
if you are under 18,
then you shouldn't drink without
the permission of your parents
or your guardian.
So, the drinking age in New Zealand,
it's 18, right,
but you're actually allowed to drink
if you're younger than that
if you go to dinner, like,
with your parents, say,
and they get you a glass of wine,
but who really wants to do that?
When I was a teenager, I went to
Cobb & Co with my mum and dad,
and this girl, Julia Morrison,
walked in, who I had a crush on,
and she saw me
with my parents, and she told
the whole school the day after,
and that's why we had to
leave Wellington. So...
(LAUGHTER)
I know it might seem
annoying or unfair,
but basically, these rules are
in place to help protect you,
because alcohol and drugs
can have an effect on you.
And the most significant thing
that alcohol can do is that
it can actually affect
your behaviour,
and you might do something
you wouldn't normally do.
It could make you take more risks,
make you more emotional
or uncoordinated
or cause memory loss.
In the past, when I've been drunk,
I believe that I am a better dancer
than I (SNIGGERS) probably am.
The point is - drugs and
alcohol do affect you.
For me, in high school,
I actually chose not to participate
in drinking and doing drugs,
but I would just kinda go out with
my friends and go to parties
and, you know, let them make
the decisions for themselves.
And then I had a car,
so I could play sober driver,
and that sort of dynamic
worked for me well,
because I still felt included,
but I also felt that I had
an inner strength in being able to
choose for myself what
was right for me,
and I felt quite empowered
by that decision.
And fortunately for me, most of
the people in my social circle
were very supportive
of that decision.
Everyone knows that hard drugs like
meth can really mess you up.
And inhaling stuff can be
really dangerous too.
It's important to know that the
drugs some people think of as
low-level or 'harmless'
can affect your behaviour
and have risks.
Like weed - can make you relax,
chilled out,
but it can also make you
very paranoid and anxious
and may even increase the
chance of mental illness.
And even make you spew.
So once again, drugs are illegal,
but if you're gonna use
drugs or alcohol,
it's important to look after
yourself and be as safe as you can.
Sometimes there can be a lot
of pressure from your mates
to drink and take drugs.
A weird thing that I used to do
when I was a kid is I used to
just carry a can of
Wattie's Spaghetti around with me,
as opposed to a beer can.
And no one used to notice, cos if
you got nothing in your hands
at a party, people think you're,
like, the weird, creepy guy
who's just wandering around,
but if you have got a can of
spaghetti, then, um... (CHUCKLES)
It's hilarious sometimes how
few people notice that
that's not a brewski.
If that's a bit lame for you, you
can just carry a normal can of beer,
like a normal person, but you don't
have to drink much of it at all.
And that's something, when
I was young, I used to do.
Now I'm- Now I'm a man,
I'm very confident in my life,
and I've got everything figured out,
but when I was a young lad,
I used to just carry a can of beer
for no reason other than
just to stop people talking
about why I'm not drinking.
If you see someone being pressured
to drink when they don't want to,
or take drugs, stand up for them.
Not all heroes wear tights -
except for me. They're super comfy,
and I look great in them.
So, there's this 'idea' that
you have to keep up with how
drunk or high your mates are
or that you have to
drink to get drunk.
There definitely is a lot
of pressure on teenagers
to participate in doing
drugs and drinking.
But, yeah, it's just important
that you are in a situation
where you feel comfortable
to make the decision
that you feel is best for you,
and if you're not comfortable,
then you should try and
get out of that situation.
When I was at school, there was
heaps of pressure to drink and party
and take drugs and
all that sort of thing,
but if I could go back in time,
I just wish that I could tell myself
that you can pace yourself.
There's no requirement to do
any certain amount of partying;
you just do what you wanna do.
Have you ever been the only sober
person in a group of drunk people?
I have. They're really annoying.
They're loud, obnoxious, and they
always think they're funny.
They're kinda like me sober.
But the best way to
keep yourself safe
is to not take drugs
or alcohol at all,
but if you're gonna use either,
it's important to know your limits.
I actually didn't start
drinking until I was 19.
I did find it really hard to
know how to drink safely,
and so I definitely felt like
I should measure my drinking
by what other people were drinking,
which I guess is kind of
like a pressure I put on myself.
But then I just worked that out
by learning my limits
and telling my friends, you know,
'Can you please stop me if
(CHUCKLES) I start doing this?'
And that seemed to work.
Alcohol can make you sick if
you drink too much of it
or if you drink it too quickly.
Yep, I was one of those teens who
believed that I had to
drink to get drunk.
It wasn't so much because of
any peer pressure or whatnot.
It was always due to, like,
a restricted amount of time that
I had at a party. So I was like,
'Well, while I'm here,
I'm gonna make the most of it.
'I have to drink.
I have to get drunk,
'because I've only got
this amount of time.'
And I learned quite quickly that...
when drinking,
you need to surround yourself with
friends who care about you
and will look after you, because if
you have stupid ideas like that,
then, yeah,...
need those friends.
If you're going to consume alcohol,
check that you're in
a safe environment.
Are there any adults
you can trust around?
Drink slowly and alternate
your drinks with water.
It'll help slow you down.
Eat some food too.
Did you get your own drink?
It's really important you always
know exactly what's in your drink,
even when you're with your friends.
This is because of drink spiking,
or being roofied,
and that's when someone puts either
alcohol or drugs in your drink
without you knowing.
If someone does this, they're trying
to make you really out of it,
and that's not OK.
And it's not OK to add a shot
of vodka to your mate's drink
without them knowing too.
And if you see that someone's
drink has been spiked...
If your drink is spiked,
it's never your fault.
It sucks that you even
have to think about it,
but as best as you can, make sure
you know what's in your drink.
It is important to know that being
drunk or high is no excuse for
any sexual assault or harassment.
And if you're drunk or high,
you can't give consent.
If something bad happens to you,
it's not your fault.
Alcohol and drugs can affect
your decision-making,
which is why the law says
if you're too drunk or high,
people can't give informed consent
for sex or sexual activity.
That basically means
don't have sex with someone who's
really drunk or high -
full stop, end of.
Signs that someone might be out of
it and not able to consent would be
things like slurring their words,
staggering around,
falling over,
vomiting or passing out.
If you're unsure about whether or
not they're too drunk or high,
don't have sex with them or
do any sexy stuff with them.
Just hold off,
and look after each other.
I think it's extremely
important to have
a really good, close group of
friends when you go out drinking,
wherever that might be -
a party or out to town
or even just at somebody's house,
because sometimes you don't
even know it's gonna happen,
but you go too far, and you really
need somebody who's gonna be there,
have your back, look after you,
make sure you stay safe
and get home safe.
If you see something going down
that seems a bit dodgy,
step up and do something about it.
Bystanders are people who see
something going on that's not right
and, instead of stepping in to
stop it, they let it happen.
It's like if I saw someone
dad dancing in public -
I'd step up and tell that
person right away that
it's unacceptable and inappropriate.
There's this thing called the
bystander effect, and basically,
it means the more people who
witness something going wrong,
the less likely someone
is to step in.
There's lots of reasons for this -
it's hard to speak up
in a big group;
you might assume someone else
is gonna deal with it;
you might not wanna cause a scene.
Don't assume someone else
has it covered. Step up,
but don't put yourself at risk.
Trust your instincts.
It's like when you're in class and
you have this question to ask,
but you think it might be dumb,
so you don't ask it,
and then someone else asks
the exact question,
and then the teacher goes,
'Good question.'
It's just like that.
Ask the question.
All you need to do is
check in with people.
If something seems
dodgy, ask them,...
If you think it's not
safe to step in alone,
get a friend to go with you.
You don't have to come in hot;
you can just ask if everyone's OK,
or are they having a good time?
Sometimes, it's enough that
people just know that
they're being watched.
If you're in doubt and you don't
feel like you can interrupt,
call an adult you trust.
Or if you're really worried,
call the police.
It's always better to
be safe than sorry.
Not being a bystander can
help some people out of
some really bad situations.
Stepping in can help
stop sexual assaults.
And you can also help your friends
if they're too drunk or high
by making sure that
they don't drive drunk
or get into fights.
Keep your friends safe out there.
And if you're going to drink,
know your limits.
And if you're not drinking or
doing drugs, that's awesome.
Mates before crates!
(MID-TEMPO ELECTRONIC MUSIC)
Nothing for that? All right.
I'll see myself out.
