The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Each year, spring brings wonderful school rituals such as prom and graduation. They begin with so much excitement and promise yet end in tragedy for hundreds of teen drivers and their passengers. According to a national survey of more than 2,500 eleventh and twelfth graders, 90 percent of teens believe their counterparts are more likely to drink and drive on prom night and 79 percent believe the same is true for graduation night.

According to the most recent local Healthy Youth Survey in Wahkiakum County, 30 percent of our tenth grade students have reported riding with a driver that has been drinking and 17 percent report driving while drinking in the 30 days prior to taking the survey. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports 1,009 total teen fatalities (alcohol and non-alcohol-related) in motor vehicle crashes nationally during prom and graduation season (April, May and June) in 2008.

The Liberty Mutual/SADD study suggests that parents have a tremendous opportunity to enhance their role in deterring unsafe driving behaviors among teens. More than one in five teens (22 percent) say their parents have either not spoken with them about driving safety at all or have only talked with them once. Past Liberty Mutual/SADD research strongly indicates that teens that have regular conversations with their parents about driving safety are less likely to drink and drive, less likely to speed, and are more likely to wear their seat belts.

To help support our youth to stay safe during our prom and graduation season, Wahkiakum Community Network is partnering with our local school districts and high school youth to launch its annual Stop Drinking and Driving Pledge Drive at Wahkiakum and Naselle-Grays River High Schools. During May 10– 21 students from both schools will host a student pledge drive during the week of prom to encourage their peers to abstain from drinking and driving and riding in a car with a driver that has been drinking. When students choose to sign the pledge they will be given a wallet-size card where they can write down the names and numbers of two safe drivers they can call if they find themselves without a safe ride. If you know or have a student who attends these two high schools, be sure to use this opportunity to talk about drinking and driving and encourage them to pledge to not drink and drive or ride in a car with someone that has been drinking.

During the week of graduation Wahkiakum Community Network will also be implementing our annual Bottle Tagging project. Bottle tags and stickers are placed on retail outlet alcohol beverages to help spread the word that providing alcohol to minors is a crime in Washington State (RCW 66.44.270), carrying a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to one year in jail. Let’s all join in the celebration of this spring’s prom and graduation rite of passage but help our kids choose to keep it free from the dangers of substance abuse. Wahkiakum Community Network would like to thank The Wahkiakum County Eagle, Wahkiakum School District, Naselle-Grays River School District, Wahkiakum Sheriff’s Office, high school students, local volunteers and local merchants in advance for partnering with us to make Wahkiakum County a safe place for kids to become the healthy, productive adults of tomorrow.

If you would like to learn more, visit http://www.wahkiakumcommunitynetwork.org or call Tammy Peterson at 360-795-0828.