The young gather to celebrate beginning of new school year — discuss safety with highschoolers in advance
By tradition, students in Vantaa high schools celebrate the beginning of the new school year. As far as we know, young people will be celebrating in the Helsinki metropolitan area on upcoming Friday evenings.
The young themselves organize their celebrations, which are not included in educational institutions’ activities. Students have announced that they will arrange parties at least on August 21st and the following Friday nights.
In earlier years, numerous minors have come to the parties, and some of them have been strongly intoxicated. Accidents happen each year in these parties. Furthermore, these new-school-year parties have also attracted lots of young people who are not students at Vantaa high schools.
The celebrations are being prepared for through cooperation between the police, emergency medical services, youth workers and volunteers. Youth services from the City of Vantaa will be present at gathering places popular among young people.
The City of Vantaa youth workers also serve over the phone, and the phone numbers of outreach youth work in Vantaa are:
- East Vantaa: Sonja Milvi p. 040 569 8587
- West Vantaa: Cecilia Schichmann p. 040 358 0820
Call the number if you are concerned about your condition or about the condition of another young person. The emergency telephone number 112 serves in cases of immediate distress and danger.
Guardians are encouraged to discuss responsible drinking and risks related to celebrating the new school year with their children.
Guardians should be accessible by phone especially on the party night and answer calls even from unknown numbers, since the call might come, for example, from a young person needing help, the Police, or a youth worker.
