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Nevada Highway Patrol officer Joe Winchester, left, attends to “mock victim” Kenneth Fasone, while “mock fatality victim,” Churchill County High School English instructor Rachel Dahl, awaits extrication by members of the Fallon/Churchill County Volunteer Fire Department. The exercise was part of “Every 15 Minutes,” a program focusing on high school juniors and seniors that challenges them to think about drinking, driving, personal safety and the responsibility of making mature decisions.
Two seasons exist for high school seniors during the final semester: Graduation and prom night.
For some soon-to-be graduates, however, one of those events may end in death or a physical impairment that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Many communities in 47 states are conducting a mock drunk driving exercise this year called Every 15 Minutes. In the United States, an alcohol-related collision occurs on the average of every 15 minutes.
The two-day local event begins with a mock car crash and ends with a funeral. Based on the program’s scenario, many students participating in Every 15 Minutes die, and at the funeral, they read their “final letter” to their parents.
Essentially, it’s a letter of “This is what I wanted to say to mom and dad, but I never got around to saying it …” The emotions parents share of losing a child are also worth noting.
One senior boy told his parents in his letter three years ago that “Instead of giving me flowers for graduation, just put them on my grave instead. Life is short, and I never told you how much I love you, but it’s too late now.”
Even more riveting about this program is its authenticity. If the program saves one life, one family’s grief, one community’s sorrow, then it is worth the time and energy invested by many government and private organizations.
Not only do the living students hear from their “deceased” classmates, but they also hear of traumatic experiences witnessed by law enforcement and hospital personnel. A person also involved in a real alcohol-related accident talks to students and explains how that incident changed his or her life.
Drinking and driving is a problem at any age, but national statistics tell a sobering story for teens.
• Three out of every four students have consumed alcohol by the end of high school.
• More teenage males than females drink.
• The No. 1 cause for teenage deaths involves automobiles, and 39 percent of those deaths involved alcohol.
But there is also good news in Nevada. In the latest statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the number of fatal accidents for all age groups decreased 13 percent from 2006 to 2007.
Even if teenagers are not involved in an automobile accident involving booze, the penalties are severe for being a teenager under the age of 18 in possession or in consumption of alcohol. The state yanks the student’s driver’s license for six months.
The best advice for the underage-drinking crowd, though, is not to drink or drink and drive, but if you do, appoint a designated driver or call your parents.
The final two months of school should be a joyous time, especially for seniors. Yet, more importantly for all groups, teenagers and adults alike need to think twice about climbing behind a wheel after drinking.
You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Don’t let a pine box put a premature end to the future.
Editorials are written by the LVNEditorial Board and appear on Wednesdays.
For some soon-to-be graduates, however, one of those events may end in death or a physical impairment that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Many communities in 47 states are conducting a mock drunk driving exercise this year called Every 15 Minutes. In the United States, an alcohol-related collision occurs on the average of every 15 minutes.
The two-day local event begins with a mock car crash and ends with a funeral. Based on the program’s scenario, many students participating in Every 15 Minutes die, and at the funeral, they read their “final letter” to their parents.
Essentially, it’s a letter of “This is what I wanted to say to mom and dad, but I never got around to saying it …” The emotions parents share of losing a child are also worth noting.
One senior boy told his parents in his letter three years ago that “Instead of giving me flowers for graduation, just put them on my grave instead. Life is short, and I never told you how much I love you, but it’s too late now.”
Even more riveting about this program is its authenticity. If the program saves one life, one family’s grief, one community’s sorrow, then it is worth the time and energy invested by many government and private organizations.
Not only do the living students hear from their “deceased” classmates, but they also hear of traumatic experiences witnessed by law enforcement and hospital personnel. A person also involved in a real alcohol-related accident talks to students and explains how that incident changed his or her life.
Drinking and driving is a problem at any age, but national statistics tell a sobering story for teens.
• Three out of every four students have consumed alcohol by the end of high school.
• More teenage males than females drink.
• The No. 1 cause for teenage deaths involves automobiles, and 39 percent of those deaths involved alcohol.
But there is also good news in Nevada. In the latest statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the number of fatal accidents for all age groups decreased 13 percent from 2006 to 2007.
Even if teenagers are not involved in an automobile accident involving booze, the penalties are severe for being a teenager under the age of 18 in possession or in consumption of alcohol. The state yanks the student’s driver’s license for six months.
The best advice for the underage-drinking crowd, though, is not to drink or drink and drive, but if you do, appoint a designated driver or call your parents.
The final two months of school should be a joyous time, especially for seniors. Yet, more importantly for all groups, teenagers and adults alike need to think twice about climbing behind a wheel after drinking.
You have the rest of your life ahead of you. Don’t let a pine box put a premature end to the future.
Editorials are written by the LVNEditorial Board and appear on Wednesdays.
