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MADD shows Saskatchewan students the less glamourous side to drinking

REGINA - There's a saying: "It's all fun and games until somebody loses an eye." And so it may seem with teenagers and drinking and driving: Bad things happen to everyone else, not me.

To show students the realities of impaired driving, MADD recently launched "Shattered", a program that does not shy away from what the consequences of drinking and driving can be. The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) have teamed with MADD to bring Shattered (and the French version, En Eclats) to the 20,000 students in the province.

"Reaching out to students and youth is crucial to our mission to stop impaired driving because those age groups are at such increased risk for impaired driving crashes," said MADD Canada President Denise Dubyk. "The statistics are frightening."

Young people have the highest rates of traffic death and injury per capita among all age groups, and the highest death rate per kilometre driven among all drivers under 75 years of age.
16 to 19 year olds are 15X more likely to die per kilometre driven than their parents.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15 to 25 year olds, and alcohol is a factor in 45% of those crashes.

Shattered is a fictional account of several high school students and their families enjoying a typical Saturday night. As their stories unfold, it becomes clear that the actions and choices of some will have life-altering consequences. The dramatization is blended with testimonials from real-life victims of impaired driving. The curriculum guide which accompanies the program has information about alcohol, drugs and driving, the legal and social ramifications of impaired driving, binge drinking, impairments caused by cannabis (alone and in combination with alcohol) and the dangers of accepting rides from alcohol or drug impaired drivers.

"With the support of SGI and SLGA, we are able to go into schools across the province to bring our message directly to students," said Ms. Dubyk. "Ultimately, we hope to make students see the dangers and risks of impaired driving and make the right decisions that will keep them and their peers safe."