TOWAMENCIN- Driving under the influence is something one hears about everyday. It’s on the news and social media and present in ordinary neighborhoods. Unfortunately, cases of DUI’s don’t always end with the intoxicated driver getting pulled over and arrested; it can sometimes end with people getting hurt or even killed.

Last Wednesday and Thursday, seniors at North Penn High School got a first hand experience of what it was like to be at a scene of an accident that was caused by an intoxicated driver and also got to hear from the parents of teens whose lives both changed forever because of DUI.

The two-day event gave the students a more hands on experience of what driving under the influence can do and how drastically a simple mistake can change one’s life forever.

“You can sit in a classroom and hear a teacher talk or read a book, but it’s just not the same as having a tangible example or doing an experiment or learning through hands on activity. This is actually seeing something in person, understanding the magnitude of what can happen, seeing your classmates in a compromised position like that. I hope that that has an impact on people,” said Mr. Todd Bauer, Principal of NPHS.

The live DUI presentation is unique to NPHS, and although it has been shown to every senior class for over the past ten years, its message is still bold and extremely relevant. The school puts a lot of effort into this presentation every year, because it’s a very serious situation that teens unfortunately sometimes encounter. The presentation conveys the message that driving under the influence is not worth it and is something one should avoid at all costs.

“I think the magnitude of it is the reason that not many, or no schools to my knowledge, do the same thing, because not only is it a lot of time, and it’s pulling 1,000 kids out of class, but the police department that was there, fire department, to get a helicopter, to get all those things, that’s a lot of volunteer hours and resources. It’s a lot to ask of people, so given that there’s a history of doing it here at North Penn and because it’s part of our culture and continues, [we are able to do something like this every year],” Bauer explained.

In addition to outside volunteers, NPHS students were involved in the live DUI reenactment. C’enna Crosby, a senior at NPHS, got involved by speaking with Jimmy Dooling, senior at NPHS, about what takes place during a drunk driving incident. They explained the protocol that the police, firefighters, and ambulances follow and how the situation is dealt with.

“I thought that the presentation was a very good learning experience for the whole senior class to see, especially when prom is coming up. Also, it wasn’t just about driving while drunk. It was about alcohol and drugs. I hope that touched a lot of seniors today and hopefully will make them change their ways or think to never even do that,” said Crosby.

While discussing DUI is difficult, it is a reality that must be dealt with. This is something that happens everyday, so constant reminders are needed so the right decisions are made when it comes to being intoxicated, ensuring that oneself and others around are safe.

“I think that one of the reasons that students make the wrong decision is when you’re young, there’s always that invincibility factor. You think it doesn’t feel real to you, it doesn’t feel tangible and you don’t think that it can happen to you. I think all the people including the parents that we heard from today, everybody thinks, ‘That happens to those people. That doesn’t happen to kids like me’, and it does. I’ve taught kids that have died as a result of DUI, and the older all of you get, the more you’ll realize that this type of stuff is common, so we just hope that we can do our best part in sending the message, and if it saves one person, then it was absolutely worth the time and energy,” explained Bauer.

Ms. Mary Scott, Assistant Principal at NPHS, was closely involved with the two-day event and has been for the past twelve years. She played a major role in the planning and execution of the reenactment.

“I think in the auditorium, especially in one the size of ours, it’s easy to get lost or distracted. I think being out here in real weather conditions and seeing just the mere impact of number of emergency personnel need to respond to a situation, seeing classmates on the field and taken off in a helicopter, I think it’s a very important lesson. I think it has a much greater impact in years to come,” stated Scott.

On the second day, the seniors were in the auditorium listening to the story of two mothers: one being the mother of a teen who killed someone due to driving under the influence and one who was the mother of the victim. After seeing what the an accident looks like and hearing from real victims, the seniors were given a chance to learn from others’ mistakes, rather than having to learn from their own. Hopefully the seniors will take home this valuable information that will save them from harm and help them make responsible decisions when it comes to drinking and driving.

For more coverage on the DUI reenactment from Staff Writer Anissa Gardizy, please refer to the following video from NPTV: