It was a wake-up call for Putnam County, New York. In 2008, DWI arrests rose an alarming 35 percent. That meant that from a 2006 high of 414 DWI arrests, 2008 arrest figures jumped to 633.
According to a Time.com article on teen thought processes and risky behavior, teens think very differently than adults do. While adults tend to concentrate on the end results of a behavior, teens “may get lost in the details about specific risks and (become) overly focused on possible rewards, while ignoring the overall ‘gist’ of the problem—i.e., the ultimate consequences.”
Sometimes it takes a teen to reach a teen.
That idea is at the core of the Yakima Valley System of Care’s outreach to educate young people about driving and substance abuse. Yakima County, Washington is a large and rural county. The primarily agricultural communities are spread out.
Imagine you’re a high school student and prom is fast approaching. You’ve got your checklist set. Date, check. Outfit, check. Dinner reservations, check. All you need are the tickets and one last thing. Your parents need to attend the pre-prom safety presentation.
A New Approach
What’s the best way to teach young adults about the dangers and impacts of alcohol?
“Throw a party,” says Jane Alleva, of South Carolina’s Keystone Substance Abuse Services.
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