Schoolies drugs bought and sold on social networks Facebook, Snapchat

DRUGS have been an unfortunate part of Schoolies since the beginning, and modern technology is only adding to their prevalence.

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SOCIAL media has emerged as the new frontier for schoolies to buy and sell drugs.

Photors of students spruiking drugs for sale at Schoolies have emerged as authorities revealed they would closely monitor social media for illegal activity at the Gold Coast festival.

The Courier-Mail has seen Facebook posts from Year 12 students promoting themselves as drug dealers ahead of the start of celebrations this weekend.

In one of the posts, a teen revealed his mobile phone number and Snapchat username so potential buyers could contact him. Another boy asked if any of the dangerous party drug flakka would be available.

Lawyer and Schoolies Advisory Group chairman Mark Reaburn said police would be watching social media very closely during the end-of-school party week for signs of drug-dealing and any other illegal acts.

Gold Coast Schoolies Advisory Group chairman Mark Reaburn. Pic: Nigel Hallett

Mr Reaburn warned school leavers that posting social media photos of illegal or inappropriate behaviour could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

“Our message to the kids is that one (foolish) photo can haunt you,’’ he said.

“You could be sitting in front of a potential employer in three years time and they say ‘look at this photo of you at Schoolies’.

“A conviction during Schoolies is a conviction that could follow them through their careers.’’

Mr Reaburn said any drug dealers planning to come into Surfers Paradise during Schoolies were “really dumb”.

“It’s a dumb thing to do at the best of times, but really it’s really dumb during Schoolies given the enormous police presence,’’ he said.

In his 14th year as Schoolies boss, Mr Reaburn said revellers had become more “mellow” since the early days of chaos, fights and mass arrests.

Arrests plunged 60 per cent last year and Mr Reaburn said those nabbed by police represented a tiny fraction of the 25,000 teens who attended.

“Some of kids are going to get arrested ... if they break the law, they’ll be dealt with and we’re all for that,’’ he said.

“Our focus is on the 99.9 per cent that are doing the right thing.’’

Mr Reaburn was forced to defend the event at a Schoolies media conference on Surfers Esplanade after being heckled.

“Stop fencing off our beach – we’ve paid for it,’’ a man yelled.

Mr Reaburn said Schoolies was a difficult balancing act and the fenced hub was reopened at 1am each day to “give the beach back to the locals”.

Originally published as Schoolies drugs bought and sold on social networks Facebook, Snapchat