It’s a wonderful time of year. Grass is starting to grow; trees are turning green again; and flowers are starting to poke their heads through soil that was cold and barren not too long ago.
It’s also a time eagerly anticipated by high school students, what with prom nights on their schedules and graduation coming up not long after that.
Unfortunately, it’s also a time for tragedy.
We should all be aware that alcohol-related fatalities rise during the prom and graduation season.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data from its Fatality Analysis Reporting System showing that alcohol-related fatalities increase between the middle of April and the middle of June.
The data showed that in the year 2000, 58 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related during the prom and graduation period. That compares with 41 percent for the rest of the year.
In addition, 36 percent of all alcohol-related traffic fatalities are young people between the ages of 15 and 20, below the legal age to consume alcoholic beverages.
Gary Smith, executive director of Narconon Arrowhead, said, "Alcohol is one of the most difficult drugs to combat, especially with youth. Being a legal drug that is easily obtained, clear and effective preventive and education measures must be taken."
"Nobody starts using drugs or alcohol with the intent of becoming addicted or losing their lives," Smith said. "But when people wait and don’t get help immediately, they can die or end up in the hospital or prison. Some people are fortunate enough to get the help they need, but those are the people that have the courage to reach out."
Our police departments and our school officials are among those who reach out to our young people. With proms and graduations coming up, those efforts will surely be augmented.
Let’s hope their lasting impressions of proms and graduations are not marred by deadly alcohol-related foolishness.
