Thousands of Schoolies take Gold Coast by storm as seven hospitalised over drugs in South Australia

The party’s just begun! Thousands of school leavers take the Gold Coast by storm as five are arrested, seven are hospitalised and officials sound warnings over a chlamydia outbreak

  • Young Australians still letting their hair down as celebrations enter their second week across the country
  • Revellers were seen getting into party spirit on the Gold Coast as well as in South Australia on Saturday
  • Some Schoolies took to social media to share newly-etched ‘schoolies’ tattoos and elaborate costumes 
  • A safe-sex warning has been issued in New South Wales meanwhile amid a recent chlamydia outbreak

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Thousands of school leavers have let their hair down on the Gold Coast and across Australia as the annual Schoolies festivities enter their second week.

Young revellers were seen getting into the party spirit on Saturday as they put on costumes and even treated themselves to their owned schoolies-themed tattoos.

But the party didn’t go well for everyone as several youngsters found themselves being taken to hospital or a police cell. 

Thousands of school leavers have let their hair down on the Gold Coast and across Australia as the annual schoolies festivities enter their second week

Young revellers were seen getting into the party spirit on Saturday as they put on costumes and even treated themselves to their owned Schoolies-themed tattoos

Partygoers were keen to show off their new ink to celebrate the end of school exams

Young revellers were seen getting into the party spirit on Saturday as they put on costumes and even treated themselves to their owned Schoolies-themed tattoos

On Friday night seven people taken to hospital at Victor Harbor in South Australia, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Some of those hospital admissions were for ecstasy overdoses, police said. 

Meanwhile on the Gold Coast, five males were on Friday night arrested and charged with 13 offences mainly relating to drugs. 

Police said an increased officer presence would remain in the area for at least another fortnight. 

One group of female revellers saw an unfortunate end to their night, with one of them sharing a photo of two others lying on hospital stretchers.

It is not clear what caused the two to be admitted to hospital, but one comment underneath the social media post appeared to reveal they had banged their heads.

It comes as health officials in New South Wales warned revellers to practice safe sex amid a worrying chlamydia outbreak in the state.

‘While Schoolies Week should be a fun time after the stresses of exams, look after yourself and your mates,’ NSW Health’s acting director of communicable diseases Dr Christine Selvey said.

‘This is particularly important if you consume alcohol, as being intoxicated can have significant consequences and lead to increased risk-taking like unsafe sex.’

Chlamydia reports in the state rose by seven per cent in 2018 compared to the year before, while both syphilis and gonorrhea were also significantly higher. 

One group of female revellers saw an unfortunate end to their night, with one of them sharing a photo of two others lying on a hospital gurney. There is no suggestion anyone in this photo took drugs

One group of female revellers saw an unfortunate end to their night, with one of them sharing a photo of two others lying on a hospital gurney. There is no suggestion anyone in this photo took drugs

At Victor Harbor in South Australia, Schoolies celebrated the opening of the coastal town's end-of-exams festivities by getting into costume

At Victor Harbor in South Australia, Schoolies celebrated the opening of the coastal town’s end-of-exams festivities by getting into costume

Schoolies in Victor Harbor took the baton from the Gold Coast this weekend in terms of festivities, with the final night of organised Schoolies in the Queensland city ending on Friday

Schoolies in Victor Harbor took the baton from the Gold Coast this weekend in terms of festivities, with the final night of organised Schoolies in the Queensland city ending on Friday

In Queensland, meanwhile, the final night of organised Schoolies activities in Surfers Paradise on Friday night saw five male revellers arrested on 13 offences mainly relating to drugs (pictured is a man being restrained by police on the Gold Coast)

In Queensland, meanwhile, the final night of organised Schoolies activities in Surfers Paradise on Friday night saw five male revellers arrested on 13 offences mainly relating to drugs (pictured is a man being restrained by police on the Gold Coast)

Schoolies on the Gold Coast finally wound down their celebrations after a week or organised festivities in the city (pictured on first night last week)

Schoolies on the Gold Coast finally wound down their celebrations after a week or organised festivities in the city (pictured on first night last week)

Graduating students across Australia ditched the books and flocked to the Gold Coast this week to celebrate the end of the school year with wild parties (revellers pictured last weekend)

Graduating students across Australia ditched the books and flocked to the Gold Coast this week to celebrate the end of the school year with wild parties (revellers pictured last weekend)

One witness told Daily Mail Australia last weekend he was shocked to see a lack of disorderly conduct and said the students were rather tame. Pictured: Revellers last weekend

One witness told Daily Mail Australia last weekend he was shocked to see a lack of disorderly conduct and said the students were rather tame. Pictured: Revellers last weekend

Authorities have reported a relatively quiet week for Schoolies-related crimes on the Gold Coast this year, with a 50 per cent drop in arrests for drug and alcohol-related offences compared to 2018.  

One witness told Daily Mail Australia last weekend he was shocked to see a lack of disorderly conduct and said the students were rather tame. 

‘There wasn’t any wild commotion or any jumping up and down or anything,’ they said. 

‘While schoolies has concluded for Queensland school leavers, a large number of interstate Schoolies will begin arriving on the Gold Coast,’ a police spokesperson said. 

Earlier this week, a high school graduate on the Gold Coast was rescued from his balcony after trying to climb down to a lower floor while high on MDMA.

The teenager was spotted on Elkhorn Avenue in Surfers Paradise about 1am while attempting to scale his fifth floor balcony. 

A tired Schoolies reveller was seen having a snooze on the beach after the first night of Schoolies last weekend

A tired Schoolies reveller was seen having a snooze on the beach after the first night of Schoolies last weekend

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk