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A Last Dance

By: Shauna Lanea, Feature Writer

One of the reasons Alcohol Awareness month is held in April is because it is the beginning of the prom and graduation season, a time when celebrations can turn dangerous for underage drinkers. Many communities conduct anti-drinking campaigns during the month aimed at curtailing alcohol use before during and after the special events. Consequently, prior to prom, many schools plan programs aimed at educating kids against the dangers of drinking.

These programs feature special speakers, presentations and even displays of crashed vehicles to emphasize the danger. Some groups utilize some form of a “sober contract” a promise that students sign agreeing to remain alcohol and drug free during the prom and graduation season. At the event itself, many schools across the nation have begun using breathalyzers to test the blood alcohol content of prom-goers and turning away at the door those who have been drinking.

Parents talking with their teens about drinking on prom night should be part of an ongoing conversation with them about the hazards of drinking. Recent statistics only affirm parents’ concerns about teenage consumption of alcohol and prom night has been seen, in recent years, as a drinking rite of passage for some adolescents. Unfortunately, many adults turn their backs on or indulge in underage drinking, especially around special events like the prom. Some parents feel they have little to worry about as long as their kids aren’t drinking.

Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. Although the proportion of crashes that are alcohol-related has dropped dramatically in recent decade, there are still far too many such preventable accidents.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 8:04 am and is filed under Decisions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.