Don’t drink and drive, partying
high school graduates are told

By Harold Carmichael/THE SUDBURY STAR

A drinking and driving accident is no way to say goodbye to high school.
That was the message hammered home by several speakers at Action Sudbury’s third Safe Graduation Campaign at the Bell Park Amphitheatre in Sudbury on Wednesday morning.
About 100 students from five area high schools were bused to the amphitheatre to hear anti-drinking and driving messages, as well as be entertained by Northeastern Secondary School’s Evolutionary Band.
Action Sudbury Chairman Ron Roy, a retired police officer, said in an interview that the message appears to be getting through to teenagers as there have not been any drinking and driving accidents arising from graduation parties the past three years in the Sudbury area.
“I feel they are very aware of it today,” he said. “Most schools have an Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving chapter.
“The average age of an impaired driver has gone up to 36 years.”
Roy said that according to 1999 national accident statistics, an average of 125 Canadians are hurt daily in accidents resulting from impaired driving.
An average of 4.5 deaths occur daily, he added.
Roy said that what is new this year with the safe graduation campaign is the distribution of a Sudbury and District Health Unit pamphlet entitled Tips for Students and Parents Hosting a Party to grads in the weeks ahead.
“For a lot of them, it’s their first time (holding parties),” he said. “There’s certain things they can do to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand.”