by Jenae Casalnuovo
Our Peer Resource class is hosting a DUI Prevention and Awareness Campaign next week, from March 31st through April 4th.
Approximately one in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime. Every day in the United States, 28 people die as a result of these crashes. Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash, according the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This is an extremely prevalent issue in Marin County – we have a higher rate of underage and binge drinking than state and national averages.
Peer Resource feels that many students do not fully recognize the consequences of drinking and driving. This is a huge problem that the class is trying to tackle through a hands-on education.
The week will begin with the presence of a wrecked car on campus, located next to the Senior Tree. The car will remain there for the entirety of the week to remind students the potentially lethal consequences of drinking and driving.
Tuesday will feature some games involving DUI statistics and others involving drunk goggles during the two breaks. A cakewalk and Wheel of Fortune game will take place during lunch.
Throughout the day on Wednesday, a student will be called out of class every 22 minutes to help students comprehend the statistic that a person dies once every 22 minutes from a drunk driving accident. A Peer Resource student will then read an obituary to the class the student was in, and the student will have their face painted white to signify being a part of the Walking Dead. A DUI video will also be shown to each advisory class.
On Thursday, there will be tables set up all day by the Senior Tree where students can pledge to designate a sober driver. After pledging, each student’s name will be entered into a raffle to win various gift cards and certificates to local businesses, such as M&G’s, Scoop, and Jamba Juice.
The week will conclude with guest speaker Sue Hunt LeMay talking about her personal experience losing a loved one due to drunk driving. This moving presentation will take place during Tutorial in the Little Theater. Other Peer Resource classes from our school district will also be attending LeMay’s talk.
Peer Resource hopes to bring attention to how fatal the consequences of drinking and driving are, in order to hopefully not only deter classmates from driving while under the influence, but also to encourage them to speak up if they see someone who they know has been drinking getting behind the wheel.
The class educates underclassmen about alcohol and driving under the influence through Social Issues presentations, and the students believe that DUI Prevention and Awareness Week will also bring awareness to the students who have licenses and are potentially faced with this scenario: the upperclassmen.
Jolly Roger 