Introduction The Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y) program is a 1-day injury awareness and prevention program for youth ages 15 and older, developed in 1986 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Methods Students follow the course of injury from occurrence, through transport, treatment, rehabilitation and community re-integration phases. They interact with a team of health professionals that includes a paramedic, a police officer, nurses, a physician and social workers. They are given information about: basic anatomy, physiology and the mechanics of injury; the effect of alcohol/drugs on decision making, judgement, concentration and co-ordination; the nature of injuries that can be repaired, and those that cannot; the effect of injury on families, finances and future plans. The team includes persons who have been injured, some still in acute care, others in rehabilitation and some who have returned home. They provide a personal perspective on the challenge of dealing with injury and putting ones life back on track. The program concludes with a challenge to the participants to become individually and collectively committed to promoting behaviours and activities that minimise the risk of injury.

Results Since 1986 the P.A.R.T.Y. Program has expanded to well over 100 sites and six countries with more to come.

Conclusions This program is a vital component of the growing community effort to reduce death and injury in alcohol and risk-related crashes and other incidents.