Keep Living for the Future
A message from SADD National Student of the Year Neal Patrick Stepp
 Everyone who listens to popular music and is under the age of 18 has heard the song, "Live While We're Young" by One Direction. This song describes what the prom night experience should be like in the eyes of some in our sensationalist, youth-obsessed society. We are being encouraged by music and media that we should not hold back but should experience life while we're still young. What is a better time to adapt this theme to our lifestyle? I mean, prom only happens once, right? So shouldn't we go all out and live with no regrets during this one-time opportunity?
Unfortunately, it is attitudes like this that can lead to regrets, such as missed graduations and even early parenthood. I'm not saying that we shouldn't have an awesome time, but we need to remember that not only does this time mark the end of our high school career; it also marks the beginning of something much more important. Read more ...
To learn more about the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC) and Student of the Year (SOY), click here.
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Policy Watch
Movement to Ban Powdered Alcohol
If you haven't heard of Palcohol yet, you may soon. Palcohol is a controversial powdered alcohol mix that comes in a foil-style bag, similar to a kid's juice pouch. Add five ounces of water and shake for 30 seconds and you have an alcoholic drink. One bag of Palcohol contains the same amount of alcohol as a shot.
While the powdered alcohol itself is OK to sell, the packaging labels have to be re-evaluated by The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau before approving the beverage for distribution. Thus, at this time, Palcohol is not yet approved for sale. And there are political and youth advocates who want to keep it that way:
The potential risks to youth if Palcohol is approved are concerning: youth access, kid-friendly packaging, ease of concealment, spiking food or beverages, and snorting or inhaling the product.
SADD encourages parents to:
- Share this information with your teen
- Remind them that alcohol - in any form - is illegal, unhealthy, and potentially dangerous
- Talk openly with them about your concerns
- Ask for their thoughts and opinions
- Be clear about your expectations and the consequences for using alcohol
- Remind them how much you care about them. Remember, the #1 influence on your teen's decisions about alcohol is you!
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Operation Lifesaver
See Tracks? Think Train!
Every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States.
Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and on rail property through a nationwide network of volunteers who work to educate people about rail safety.
 Operation Lifesaver launched a new PSA campaign called See Tracks? Think Train! which aims to reduce pedestrian and driver injuries and fatalities around railroad tracks by highlighting behaviors that put people at risk.
You can read the full press release and learn more about what OLI is doing to raise awareness about rail safety education on their website at www.oli.org.
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The Month of May: Nationwide Efforts to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
From The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
 Since the early 1990s, teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States have declined by 44% and 52% respectively and are now at record low levels.
Despite this progress, there is still much work to be done: - The rates of teen pregnancy in the U.S. are far higher than other industrialized countries.
- Nearly 3 in 10 girls (over 700,000) will get pregnant at least once before they turn 20.
- Only 40% of teen mothers finish high school, and less than 2% of those girls earn a college degree by age 30.
Teens consistently say that parents are the greatest influence on their decisions about relationships and sex.
Take a moment and encourage your teen to take part in The National Campaign. Throughout the entire month of May, teens are invited to visit The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's teen website StayTeen.org to participate in an online National Day Quiz, which challenges them to think carefully about what they might do "in the moment" through a series of interactive scenarios. Plus, there's a lot more at The National Campaign website, including information and resources for parents. Looking for ways to start the conversation?
Click here to read Stephen Wallace's article (p. 27) that appeared in Life with Teens that addresses the importance of parents talking with their teen about sex. Don't forget to visit SADD for additional resources. Stephen Wallace is the senior advisor for policy, research and education at SADD, and a regular contributor to several health and wellness publications. |
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NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts
Distracted Driving
The Department of Transportation works to reduce the occurrence and raise the awareness of the dangers of distracted driving. Here are some highlights from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) recently published "Distracted Driving 2012," the most current data available.
- Ten percent of fatal crashes, 18 percent of injury crashes, and 16 percent of all motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2012 were reported as distraction-affected crashes.
- In 2012, there were 3,328 people killed and an estimated additional 421,000 injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.
- Ten percent of all drivers 15 to 19 years old involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crashes. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
- In 2012, there were 540 non-occupants killed in distraction-affected crashes.
For more from the Distracted Driving 2012 fact sheet, click here.
These statistics are important for parents of teens because SADD/Liberty Mutual Research shows that while nearly all teens are aware of what distracted driving behaviors are, 86% admit to using a cell phone behind the wheel and 68% admit to reading or replying to text messages while driving.
 Want more? Distraction.gov (the official U.S. government website for distracted driving) is a great resource for parents and teens to learn more about distracted driving.
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Distracted Driving Apps
Using Technology for Teen Driving Safety
 For many teens, getting a driver's license is one of the most significant benchmarks of their high school years. For many parents, the achievement can be just as significant, but in different ways. There's no more driving to soccer practice or piano lessons. Running to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk is willingly undertaken by our newest drivers. But there are also new worries, primarily about our teen's safety on the road. Are they speeding? Talking on the phone? Texting?
There are many companies that share parents' concerns and have embraced technology to help parents monitor their teen's driving behaviors.
Safe driving apps can vary widely, so we encourage parents to conduct thorough research before using/purchasing them. Here are a few:
If your teen is currently using a safe driving app, let us know at info@parentteenmatters.org for our follow-up article on this topic.
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