Editor’s Note: Community Comment is a periodic column in The Mount Airy News featuring commentary from community leaders in Mount Airy and Surry County. This particular column is part of a monthly series on drug abuse prevention and treatment.
Impaired driving remains an issue that affects North Carolinians every day. On average, three in five people will be involved in a crash due to impaired driving in their lifetime. Impaired driving can have serious consequences, including injury and death. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2020), the number of teens involved in alcohol-related crashes, regardless of driver age, increased for the first time in five years to 1,014 after having decreased steadily from 1,194 in 2015 to 975 in 2019.
Similarly, in 2020 the number of teens injured in alcohol-related crashes rose to 484, breaking five straight years of decline. In 2020, teen fatalities in alcohol-related accidents jumped more than 250%, from nine fatalities in 2019 to 24 in 2020 (Centers for Disease Control, 2020). The 24 fatalities represent the highest number since 2011. Additionally, drugs other than alcohol are involved in about 16 percent of motor vehicle crashes. Impaired driving is entirely preventable. Know the facts and talk with your kids about the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. There are many good times to discuss this information such as:
• When your child asks to borrow the car
• When you’re at the dinner table together
• When your child asks if he or she can ride with a friend to school/a concert/a party
• When you’re running weekend errands
• When you’re at the grocery store
• When you and your child are in the car together.
Remember, keep it low-key. Don’t worry, you don’t have to get everything across in one talk. Plan to have many short talks. Talk with your child. They really do hear you.
If you, or someone you know, would benefit from learning more about “Talk. They Hear You,” contact Charlotte Reeves, Surry County Office of Substance Abuse Recovery Community Outreach Coordinator, at reevesc@co.surry.nc.us. Visit our website at surrycountycares.com for more information about substance use disorder and the many resources in our county.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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