CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES!
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE.
With area graduations this weekend and next, parents, talk to your kids about the danger of drinking and driving.
Did you know:
More than one-third of youth under the age of 21 killed in alcohol-related fatalities in 2001 died during the months of April, May and June - prom and graduation season - according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2001 alone, 2,950 children under 21 died in alcohol-related traffic fatalities - 1,012 died during the months of April, May and June.
So here is my thing with graduation...a lot of high school students are going to be drinking. It's the way it is, it's the way it's always been.
In a perfect world, we could go around hoping that our children will be strong enough to turn away from alcohol during their festive times, but if you're being honest and real, that only happens with a select few.
Parents: Have the Talk!
Ask your kids what they are going to be doing and where they will be? Open those lines of communication so that if your children are drinking they know they can call you at any hour of the night and you will come get them.
Just be honest!
Remind the young ones that think they are invincible that a third of the youth under the age of 21 are killed in alcohol-related facilities during April, May and June - Prom and graduation season.
Kids and graduates - Think back to some of the people you know that have been killed or injured from alcohol-related accidents.
It's been a few years back now, but a student from White River died on graduation night.
A few months back we had a former student from the area that died in a crash outside of Mission.
It can happen to anyone at anytime.
Take the uncertainty out of the equation and just make the commitment to not drink and drive...PERIOD!
If you've had a drink, don't drive.
Parents, talk to your kids about scenarios.
Give them options...provide a designated driver.
To the kids out there, police each other and make sure that no one that is drinking gets in a car and help keep everyone safe.
Parents hosting parties: If that's the plan, then ya better be out there chaperoning the kids and not just pouring free drinks. If they're at your house, you're responsible.
Sorry to put a gloom and doom on graduation, but if you don't talk to your kids about this no one will.
Congratulations to all the local graduates, It's been fun watching you grow.
I wanna make sure you're around so the rest of us can continue to see you grow.
Be smart...talk about it.
Too many beautiful faces around here to lose even a single one of them. . .
An exerpt from
panicbutton.sportsblog.com.
