According to the 2005 Lin-Wood TAP (Teen Assessment Project) Survey 1 in 3 Lin-Wood students surveyed reported riding in a motorized vehicle with a driver who had been drinking or using drugs. Each day in this country, as many as 9,000 16- and 17-year-old drivers get behind the wheel of a car. Driving-age teenagers have the highest overall crash rates of any age group, and traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15- to 20-year-olds. Research shows that drug and alcohol use compound teens' crash risks and a recent study has revealed that teens are just as likely to drive under the influence of marijuana as alcohol.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is partnering with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to warn parents of the prevalence and dangers of drugged and drunk driving. Research shows that 13 percent of high school seniors reported driving while high on marijuana. That's nearly equivalent to those who reported driving drunk (14 percent), even though far more teens report using alcohol (17 percent) than marijuana (7 percent) in the last 30 days. Additionally, one-third of high school seniors said that in the last two weeks, they drove after
drinking heavily or using drugs, or rode in a car whose driver had been drinking heavily or using drugs. Parents can make a difference. According to a SADD/Liberty Mutual survey, nearly 60 percent of teens who drive say their parents have the most influence on their driving, and teens whose parents enforce penalties for driving law infractions are less likely to practice risky driving behaviors than teens whose parents do not enforce penalties. Parents can take action to keep their teens safe with these simple steps:

• Set clear rules and enforce consequences against any drug or alcohol use at anytime;
• Know where their teen is going and what route they are using to get there; and,
• Reinforce safe driving practices by driving together, and being a good role model.

During "National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month" this December and throughout the year, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is providing parents with information about the risks of impaired driving. The Campaign encourages parents to discuss the harmful effects of drug use and drugged driving with their teens. Parents can visit www.TheAntiDrug.com for resources, advice, and free materials on this topic. “As many high school juniors and seniors are earning their licenses, we feel that it is the prime time for us to help encourage, educate, and positively influence our peers about the consequences of driving under the influence of any substance. We as a group have instituted new programs and activities to not only provide positive fun alternative activities while at the same time educating about the dangers of alcohol and drugs,” said Meagan Shamberger, SADD President and Junior at Lin-Wood Public School.

*For more information on this subject or the many programs that Adolescent Drug and Alcohol prevention Tools, Inc. offers at Lin-Wood Public School contact Sean O’Brien at 236-9227 or sobrien@lin-wood.k12.nh.us.

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