Event highlights dangers of drinking, driving

It’s hard to believe that prom season and high school graduation are just around the corner! 

While these are typically a time of great celebration for high school students, alcohol is often a part of that celebration.

And the reality is that teens, alcohol and driving can be a recipe for disaster.

Motor vehicle traffic crashes are the leading cause of death in the age group 16-20 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Alcohol is a major factor in many of these crashes, particularly during the months of June, July and August.

This is a reality that none of us should be willing to accept.

And for the emergency professionals, law enforcement personnel, school officials and area citizens who have organized 2009 Operation Grad Night, it’s a reality they hope to change.

Operation Grad Night has become an annual event in the area and is aimed at educating teens and their parents about the dangers of drinking and driving in a graphically visual way.

This year’s event begins today and continues tomorrow.

Today, from 9:30-11 a.m., high school seniors from Sandpoint, Clark Fork, Priest River and Lake Pend Oreille High School will attend an assembly at the Panida Theater to hear some of the real-life experiences of local police, fire, and emergency medical personnel who have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of driving while impaired.

Thursday, May 28, those same agencies will stage a mock impaired driving collision at Schweitzer Plaza Drive in Ponderay at 9:30 a.m. for the seniors.

This graphic demonstration will involve teenage volunteer “victims” from local high schools-some injured, some deceased and others trapped in crushed vehicles a result of the collision.

 As emergency personnel go through the process of extracting trapped victims, stabilizing and/or treating some for transport to a hospital via ambulance or helicopter, and pronouncing others “deceased,” this edgy and ultra real-life presentation will sharply depict the sometimes lethal consequences of drinking and driving.

While the two days’ events are geared toward graduating seniors, both parents and the general public are welcome and encouraged to attend both events.

Both today’s assembly and Thursday’s mock accident are free of charge.

As the school year ends and summer approaches, make a point to talk with your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving. If you’re the parent of a graduating senior, encourage him or her to attend their school’s substance-free grad night.

And talk to them about providing safe solutions for a ride home in case they do drink.

Make communicating with your teen the first step to a positive and safe 2009 graduation season! 

n Lynda Metz is the director of Community Development at Bonner General Hospital.