I’m concerned about drinking and driving. What can I do about it?
Drinking and driving is definitely
NOT cool. Drinking and driving can lead
to serious problems, like getting into an accident and ruining the car, or
worse yet, getting into an accident and injuring your passenger or someone else. If you’re charged with drinking and driving,
there are some pretty serious legal consequences like a criminal record and having
your license suspended.
What you can do about it:
· Take responsibility for your actions and safety.
· Make a personal decision not to drink if you might be
driving. Be strong and don’t give in to
peer pressure to drink when you’ve made that decision.
· Do not get into a car if the driver has been drinking. Find another way to get home safely.
Know
your options:
· Plan ahead – agree on who will be the designated driver
among your friends and make it easy for them not to drink (have lots of
non-alcoholic drinks around like pop, juice, water). It’s a good idea to rotate this position among
friends.
· Ask to stay overnight at a friend’s house (if that’s where
the drinking is happening), instead of driving home.
· Take the bus or a taxi home (put money aside before hand or
borrow if you have to).
· Phone your parents to come and pick you up.
Tips to minimize drinking at a party:
· Have lots of non-alcoholic drinks available. Have juice, pop, mixes for “virgin” drinks
(ie. virgin daiquiris).
· Have lots of good food available, so people will have something
to do besides drinking alcohol. Especially
good are snacks high in protein and carbohydrates such as cheese and crackers,
chips and guacamole, or chicken wings.
· Avoid 'drinking' games that
involve frequent drinking of alcohol.
· Be supportive of those people who
choose either not to drink, or not to 'keep up' with others.
Talk
about it:
· Encourage your friends not to drink and drive. Make sure it’s “not cool” to drink and drive.
· Talk to your sister and/or brother about the dangers of
drinking and driving. Educate younger
youth about the hazards of drinking and driving before they are old enough (or
tempted) to do it.