|
The End of Innocence Signals a New Beginning It's that time of year. A time for reminiscing about years past, getting ready for the prom and looking forward to graduation at long last. Thousands of high school seniors are getting ready to put those wonder years behind them and move on with the transition to adulthood. Some will fair well and handle the change responsibly. Others will view it as the biggest bash of their lives. For still others, it will bring the end of their lives or at the very least, life as they knew it or wished it to be. While statistics show that teen DUI arrests and related fatalities are down, it is still a very serious and nationwide problem. The message or this month is to think about your future. Not just short term future plans, like that big grad party but long term. As in all the hot guys you'll want to impress in college or all the bikini girls at the beach over the summer. One careless mistake can take it all away. Statistics on Youth and Alcohol from MADD Online Alcohol-related traffic deaths among youth between the ages of 15 and 20 decreased from 2,218 in 1997 to 2,210 in 1998. (NHTSA, 1999) Eight young people a day die in alcohol-related crashes. (CSAP, 1996) Younger people (age 16-20) are most likely, of any age group, to use various strategies, when hosting a social occasion where alcohol is served, to try to prevent their guests from drinking and driving. (NHTSA, 1996 More than 35% of all 16-to-20 year-old deaths result from motor vehicle crashes.(NCHS, 1997) 37% were in alcohol-related crashes. Estimates are that 2,104 persons aged 16-20 died in alcohol-related crashes in 1998. (NHTSA, 1999) During a typical weekend, an average of one teenager dies each hour in a car crash. Nearly fifty percent of those crashes involved alcohol. (NHTSA, 1999) According to the National High School Senior Survey, seniors reporting any alcohol use in the prior month fell from a peak of 72% in 1980 to 51% in 1993. (University of Michigan, 1994) The proportion of seniors reporting having five or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion during the prior two weeks fell by 0.4 percentage points from 1993 to 27.5%----down from a high of 41% in 1980. (University of Michigan, 1994) This Month's Website in the Spotlight B.R.A.D. (Be Responsible About Drinking, Inc) was founded by the family and friends of Bradley McCue, a Michigan State University Junior who died of alcohol poisoning after celebrating his 21st birthday. It is their hope that the educational information distributed by the organization will prevent other families from suffering the loss that they have sustained. This site is an incredible must see for anybody concerned about teens, young adults and alcohol. To all the graduates of the Class of 2000......CONGRATULATIONS! You finally made it this far...just a little more and you're home free. Celebrate responsibly. ~Lisa
These are links to other memorial and tribute sites. Some offer to light a candle or list the names of your loved ones who have died as a result of a DUI offenders carelessness.
GROWW
Soars: Support Offered or Alcohol Related Survivors
Light A Candle
MADD Memorial Page
The Crash: The Happenings of Driving Under the Influence
Drive Sober: Race Against Impaired Driving
Contract for Life between Parent and Teen
MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Dads welcome too)
SADD: Students Against Destructive Decisions
Contributed by,
Lisa |
