Think about it.
That was the phrase repeated most often at the Point Blank assembly at Orcas School last week, which aimed to show students the ramifications of drinking and driving.
Members of Point Blank, which is the local chapter of S.A.D.D. (Students against Destructive Decisions) performed a skit that illustrated what can happen when kids drink: personal injury, legal action, and emotional distress.
Senior Jeanie Tran, president of the group, led the day’s discussion with a panel of community members: Sheriff Bill Cumming, Superior Court Judge John Linde, County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord, Steve Gresham of county health, Maxx Jones of Orcas Fire, Laura Trevellyan of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services and, and probation officer Mike Jennings.
Jones, a firefighter and EMT, told the audience how it feels to respond to a call.
“The calls in the middle of the night are the hard calls,” she said. “I always fear it’s someone I know. When I get there, I try to walk really slow. But it’s hard not to run when someone is screaming. It’s a life or death challenge to get patients transported to the hospital. And when you tell someone that terrible news, that their son or daughter is dead, humans make a certain sound. It sounds like their heart is coming through their ribs.”
Gresham spoke about the impact alcohol has on a brain that is not fully developed.
“It wreaks havoc on brain cells and affects the serotonin, which is the peacekeeper of the brain. That’s why some people get angry when they drink,” he said.
Trevellyan, prevention coordinator and youth advocate for DVSAS, explained how alcohol compromises the ability to set boundaries and listen to “gut feelings.”
Sheriff Cumming said that law enforcement deals with “just the tip of the iceberg.”
“We rely on individual values,” he said. “Even at our age, we have peer pressure. But you as a group are much smarter than I was at your age. You have a responsibility to your friends, even if you don’t drink yourself, to walk away from that party. If you stay, you’re part of the problem. And you can get charged with a minor in possession even if you aren’t drinking but the alcohol is within reach.”
Gaylord reiterated that it’s up to each individual to encourage a climate of change.
“It’s a strong person who says no, he said. “And you are capable. The good times can go bad in one night.”
