Spring has sprung and celebrations are upon us. The parties are being planned. The dresses are being bought. The tuxedoes are being rented and the limousines are being reserved. There is excitement in the air. But unfortunately the excitement and the promise of great things to come gets replaced with tragedy and sadness for hundreds if not thousands of families, teens and their passengers. According to a recent Liberty Mutual survey, 90 percent of teens believe they have an increased chance of drinking and driving during their high school prom season but only 29 percent admit that higher percentage is cause for any concern. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 1,009 total teen fatalities (alcohol and non-alcohol-related) in motor vehicle crashes during those months of April, May and June) in 2008. As hard as we try to get a clear picture of the teen thought process, we can only think about the typical stereotype of the carefree, daring and fun loving graduate who is happy to be out of school for the summer---and on to bigger things come September. What make our teens tick? Who or what makes them do the silly, sometimes dangerous things they do and do them while driving a car? In my opinion, the two biggest factors are peer pressure from fellow teens, both in and out of the car and adults in their lives who neglect to revisit any driving or parenting rules. Today’s driver experiences more technological distractions than ever before, with cell phones, GPS units, and radios all doing their part to keep a driver’s focus OFF of the road. Throw alcohol into the mix and you get an illegally intoxicated and distracted teen driver that is making some really bad choices.
“Newspapers, television, YouTube and Facebook are rife with tales of tragedy from reckless driving on prom and graduation nights, yet and “it won’t happen to me’ attitude continues to be so pervasive among our teens, “ said Dave Melton, a driving safety expert with the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. “Add to the alcohol factor distractions like texting or talking on the cell phone while driving, or the greater likelihood of multiple people in the care, and the crash potential is VERY real.”
The other problem comes in oddly enough not with the teen, but with the parents. It comes when parents want to be their child’s pal and forget they are the parent. They provide the party AND the beer. The excuses range from, “My parents did it for me when I was his/her age” or “What’s the big deal, they will be away at school in three months and I won’t be there to look after them?” or even, “It’s just a few beers. It can’t hurt”.
Well, I’m here to tell you that it can hurt. For one, it is illegal to provide to anyone under 21. If you break this law, you can face a minimum sentence of 3 months in jail and/or a $500 fine. Others can sue you if you give alcohol to anyone underage 21 and they, in turn, hurt someone, themselves or damage property. Parents in their excitement about graduation and prom, forget the importance of being a good role model and being someone who can and should provide proper guidance.
The problem of teens abusing prescription drugs is a growing problem, but in addition to this difficulty there is an added problem of environmental health implications created by improper disposal of drugs (flushing), which has created a need for a type of public service.
Operation Medicine Cabinet, a prescription drug take back program, has answered this need. It is currently in effect at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and at the Royal Oak Public Safety Department as well as other locations in Oakland County. This is a disposal program which will take unused, unneeded, or expired medications and dispose of them properly. It will take back the controlled substances that places like SOCRRA (Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority) will not. Please visit our website,
www.tricommunitycoalition.org
Judy Rubin
Executive Director
Tri-Community Coalition
