Prom night a time to be extra careful

I originally planned to tell you lengthy stories about three friends who died during my teen years in drinking and driving accidents. I also thought of supplying nasty, tragic accident statistics from a variety of sources on the internet. Fortunately, I remembered that trying to scare kids so they won’t make poor and sometimes fatal decisions, doesn’t work.

According to the National Institute of Health Science Panel, “Over 60 years of studies show that relying on fear simply does not work. Programs that rely on scare tactics to prevent problems are not only ineffective, but may have damaging effects.”

Rather than trying to scare kids, the National Institute on Drug Abuse states, “Recognizing that teens want to be treated as equals, NIDA scientists don’t preach about the evils of drug use—or use scare tactics to influence behavior. Instead, NIDA delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body so that teens will have the information they need to make healthy decisions.”

During my research on this topic, I found that although the focus of teen driving accidents is alcohol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) expanded its mission to include drug-impaired driving. “We know that all victims of impaired driving endure the same devastating consequences, and MADD will always be there to support victims of this 100 percent preventable crime.” MADD mentioned over the counter drugs, prescription drugs, marijuana and other recreational substances.

My additional research led me to the website of the Los Angles DUI Experts a law firm. I found some of their advice/ guidelines to be helpful:

For teens and young adults:

• Organize carpools or limousines on prom night and during other group events to avoid having to drive.

• Ask your school to host alcohol-free parties after prom and graduation.

• Just say “no” to friends who urge you to drink and drive or to get into a vehicle with an impaired driver.

• Talk to someone who you know has been involved in a drunk driving accident.

• Offer to pay for cab fare or a bus ticket for others to get home.

• If you plan to drink, tell a friend you trust to hide your keys.

The simplest way to avoid drunk-driving incidents is to stay away from alcoholic beverages. Grab a soda, seltzer, or coffee instead, or simply say, “no, thank you.” For parents and guardians: • Never condone underage drinking, and never serve alcohol to minors.

• Set a curfew for your child, and always wait up for your teen to come home.

• Know the details of where your child is going, what transportation they are using to get to and from the destination, and when they will get back.

• Tell your teen that you will pick them up if they don’t have a ride.

• Be a “hands on” parent and establish clear expectations, including absolutely no underage drinking.

• Form an alliance with other parents to help prevent unsupervised parties.

• Don’t make liquor available in the home. If you have alcohol in the home, make sure it’s under lock and key.

• Create a safety net for special occasions, such as prom. Volunteer to give your child and their friends a ride or rent a limousine for the night.

A few years ago, thousands of empty shoes filled an Alberta park to represent the number of Canadians killed by drunk drivers. One of the parents of a child killed in an accident said, “What we want to do is remind people that these are loved ones. “These aren’t just shoes, these are people with faces and lives who had — up until that moment — had plans for the future. Let’s help our children to have a future.