High School graduation and celebrating....

[wyofirebirdbaby]

As LEOs, do you have any suggestions on how to get the kids who are going to graduate from high school to NOT celebrate by drinking and driving? Last night there was a tragic accident here involving 4 kids, 2 that were 21, 1 that was 20 and the 18 year old graduating student. The 21 year old sister of the 18 year old was killed and the 18 year old is clinging to life, probability of ending up with severe brain damage around 98% if she survives. Alcohol, high rate of speed and no seat belt usage were the cause.

My suggestion has been to have an assembly for the seniors with graphic videos of the consequences of other seniors celebrating as this one did, along with the legal consequences to the driver/owner of the car. (In this situation the owner was not the driver but owner carried no insurance and had no valid plates on car. Owner was also the one least injured.)

There has been the loss of at least one life every year here since 1996 of a graduating senior due to the same reasons and it seems there could be something done to try to help this stop. Any suggestions?

[PhilipCal]

Discipline, common sense, training, have to come from the home. All we can do, is enforce where possible, and pick up the pieces.

[Zeitgeist]

Kids think they're invincible and nothing will happen to them. Not alot we can do to overcome that.

[Michigan]

High School kids, young adults or old people at the bar. Everyone who drinks and drives does because they don't think "it" will happen to them.

Holding people accountable for their actions starting at a young age will help. Taking responsibiliy for their own actions and understanding that every action has a consequence. Good or bad, there's always a consequence.

[mdrdep]

http://www.every15minutes.com/

[Iowa #1603]

In my area, most schools have a program just before prom (Usually about a month before graduation) . This program deals with drunk driving deaths. The program starts with an assembly where someone goes over DUI /Death statistics . After the assembly the program moves outside

Some of the schools go one step farther and make this an all day thing where every (what ever the interval being used) the "Grim Reaper" comes and picks a person in the class to "DIE" from a DUI related collision.

Often the local police and fire departments are involved in the program and MANY stage an "accident" in the school parking lot which simulates a DUI situation.

The call goes out for a collision, with Fire/EMS/LE response similar to what you would see on an actual call..........often times the FD will use extraction tools to tear a car apart to get at the "dead" person in the car. While this is happening the police will be "testing and arresting" the driver of the vehicle..

Often the local funeral home arrives and loads the corpse into the hearse and carts them off.

The programs are quite graphic and often leaves kids in tears.....................



Good news / Bad news...........................I am sure it stops some kids from drinking and driving. // It doesn't stop all

[Iowa #1603]

Ok -that's what I get for not reading every post in a thread before answering....mdrdep's post is what I am talking about

[CruiserClass]

Do you have any strip clubs that go full nude but don't allow alcohol?

[wyofirebirdbaby]

Discipline, common sense, training, have to come from the home. All we can do, is enforce where possible, and pick up the pieces.

I agree with that 100% and the dad of the girl killed and her sister in critical condition is the high school coach so it's probably a given that those girls knew not to and chose to do so anyway. The one who died was of legal age and driving although it wasn't her car.No one had seat belts on and the two girls were ejected,the one in critical condition quite a ways away from the car. Of course, what drunk puts on a seatbelt?

Thanks to all for the answers.

[wyofirebirdbaby]

Kids think they're invincible and nothing will happen to them. Not alot we can do to overcome that.

That's true yet you'd think since it has happened every year since 1997 here that at least 1 life is lost because of it that they'd realize that it could very easily happen to them! Guess when the first beer is gone so is the common sense!

I still don't understand why they think that 100 MPH on a country road is something they can handle though. Actually I take that back. By the 4th beer they think they're Mario Andretti and thus the accident.

[Catfish56]

In my area, most schools have a program just before prom (Usually about a month before graduation) . This program deals with drunk driving deaths. The program starts with an assembly where someone goes over DUI /Death statistics . After the assembly the program moves outside

Some of the schools go one step farther and make this an all day thing where every (what ever the interval being used) the "Grim Reaper" comes and picks a person in the class to "DIE" from a DUI related collision.

Often the local police and fire departments are involved in the program and MANY stage an "accident" in the school parking lot which simulates a DUI situation.

The call goes out for a collision, with Fire/EMS/LE response similar to what you would see on an actual call..........often times the FD will use extraction tools to tear a car apart to get at the "dead" person in the car. While this is happening the police will be "testing and arresting" the driver of the vehicle..

Often the local funeral home arrives and loads the corpse into the hearse and carts them off.

The programs are quite graphic and often leaves kids in tears.....................



Good news / Bad news...........................I am sure it stops some kids from drinking and driving. // It doesn't stop all

They used to do that at the high school I went to but not anymore. God forbid they miss a day of " instructional time " for fear someone won't do well on a standardized test.

[Rasmblack]

My high school in Kansas City has a program called "Project Graduation". A group of current parents organize a few small fund raisers throughout the year and rent out a local college gym that could hold the whole class. It was basically a "shut in" where after the graduation ceremony instead, of going home, they would bus all students to the gym or whatever space they rented for the night. Now, not all students participated but it helps the amount of parties that take place on that night. In the gym they have different activities to keep everyone occupied. My year they had rented 4 sets of those oversized sumo wrestler outfits and had tournaments based on actual weight. Small prizes awarded at end of night. Everone was also given a set of gambling chips and they had set up a poker tournament and roulette wheel. Top earner at roulette and winner of poker tournaments got a small 25$ prize at end of night. Basketball and volleyball nets were available. Did not cost the student anything. The fundraisers throughout the year paid for everything. Afterward the buses came back and took everyone back to the schoo lto get picked up by parents or whoever.

[Iowa #1603]

My high school in Kansas City has a program called "Project Graduation". A group of current parents organize a few small fund raisers throughout the year and rent out a local college gym that could hold the whole class. It was basically a "shut in" where after the graduation ceremony instead, of going home, they would bus all students to the gym or whatever space they rented for the night. Now, not all students participated but it helps the amount of parties that take place on that night. In the gym they have different activities to keep everyone occupied. My year they had rented 4 sets of those oversized sumo wrestler outfits and had tournaments based on actual weight. Small prizes awarded at end of night. Everone was also given a set of gambling chips and they had set up a poker tournament and roulette wheel. Top earner at roulette and winner of poker tournaments got a small 25$ prize at end of night. Basketball and volleyball nets were available. Did not cost the student anything. The fundraisers throughout the year paid for everything. Afterward the buses came back and took everyone back to the schoo lto get picked up by parents or whoever.

We do after Prom parties like that around here...................................

[ateamer]

One of the schools around here used to do that Every 15 Minutes dog and pony show. Then one year a group of kids left a party with one of their friends driving drunk. He crashed. Three kids burned to death and another was badly injured. A couple of them were part of the Every 15 Minutes program.

Oh, and how did the rest of the kids mourn their friends? They had a kegger a week later.

[wyofirebirdbaby]

Today was Graduation day and the one who was to graduate is still holding on but with only a 20% of making it. Wonder how many will still go out and drink and drive?