Here’s a startling statistic: according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this year 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving related crashes. This equals one death every fifty minutes. Also, every minute, one person is injured from an alcohol-related crash.
These facts are startling and upsetting to anyone, but we shouldn’t let these facts steal us of our hope, because there are things that we can do to raise awareness of this important cause.
SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions, is a national organization aiming to promote health, positive decision making and address harmful attitudes for the youth of America. This club’s goal at North Penn is to address and make aware many important issues, one including drunk driving.
Even though many students sometimes feel like they don’t have many opportunities to make any real impact with these issues, students have the significant prospect to stand up for what they believe in by raising awareness.
An annual event here at school held by SADD, Grim Reaper Day is an opportunity for students to participate in raising awareness for one of the leading causes of death in this country. Students have their faces painted white to symbolize one death from drunk driving. This person, the “victim”, will not talk for the school day to show others what life would be like without that person. A member of the SADD club will visit student at one of their classes to paint their face and make it official. This year’s grim Reaper Day will be held on Thursday, May 3.
“People are silenced to death every single day due to drunk driving so our goal is to be quiet for one day to represent those who lost their lives,” says SADD officer Danielle Perez.
Students can sign up for this event during lunch periods on Tuesday, May 1, 2012.
Remember- it only one person to make a difference in the world. Maybe your actions will cause a person to take a step back and think before driving a vehicle intoxicated. Maybe you actions will give hope to the thousands of people who have lost a loved one from drunk driving accidents. Maybe your actions will save a life.