Why is the drinking and driving question in the study when a “yes” answer doesn necessarily mean the teens themselves have taken alcohol or drugs?
This question may be the most important of all because it screens for the greatest public health problem. Motor vehicle deaths are the leading cause of death among teens and they don’t have to be at the wheel to die. A “yes” answer to this question can lead to a number of recommendations to the teen. One option available to them is to sign a Contract for Life, which is a document available through the Students Against Destructive Decisions website. (www.saddonline.com.) The Contract for Life is an agreement made between parents and teens where the teen agrees to call parents for a ride, rather than to drive home after drinking or to accept a ride from someone else who has been drinking. Parents agree to pick up their kid up any time of the day or night with no recriminations as a result. Of course, in some cases, teens answer “yes” to this question because their parents are guilty of drinking and driving with their teens in the car. This can be a very complicated issue that warrants fu
