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Spring Break / Prom Safety

GA Teen Suffocated During an After-Prom Party Hosted by a Parent

18-year-old Leland Lamar Martin, died of "positional asphyxia due to airway compression in a person acutely intoxicated by ethanol." , said Barrow County authorities.  The teen was found dead April 29 after a party at a house near Auburn, where the sheriff's department concluded that he drank "a significant amount of Everclear," or high-proof grain alcohol. 

Authorities have charged three people in connection with the party, including the mother of the high school student who hosted it.

Thirty-nine-year-old Barbara Ann Michael was charged with the following:

  • nine counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor
  • two counts of maintaining a disorderly house
  • one count of party to a crime of furnishing alcohol to a minor

One teen, 19-year-old Anthony Perry of Auburn faces a reckless conduct charge for allegedly failing to call 911 after he found Martin in bad shape.

Another teen, 19-year-old Jerry Donta Sanders of Statham, also face the following charges of simple battery on accusations he kicked Martin when he was on the ground.

Text Message Your Teen on Prom Night
WASHINGTON, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/

Taking advantage of how teens prefer to communicate, The Century Council, an organization funded by distillers dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, is launching its second annual safe prom campaign using text messaging as a creative way to remind teens to make smart decisions and not to drink alcohol during prom night or throughout the year.

In order to send the text message, family members and friends only need to do the following: Visit http://www.prmtxt.org/. Register the teen's cell phone number, date of prom, and zip code. On prom night, teens will receive the message: "Have fun 2night. Stay safe. Don't drink. Luv u." Participants can also receive a confirmation that evening that their message was sent.

The prom text messaging initiative is spearheaded by The Century Council and is supported by The Wireless Foundation, the charitable organization formed by the member companies of CTIA -- The Wireless Association, the international association of the wireless telecommunications industry, and Teen Arrive Alive, dedicated to addressing teen driving safety. The goal of the initiative is to remind teens to stay safe and alcohol-free on prom night and to encourage a dialogue between parents and teens about the dangers of underage drinking. Additionally, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) are participating by encouraging their members to utilize this tool to keep teens safe during prom season.

To read this article in its intirety, go to:

http://www.pr-inside.com/text-message-your-teen-on-prom-r92975.htm

Also see "Ghost Out" 2008


Consider the following alternatives to unsupervised spring break trips:

  • Plan a family event with your teen.
  • Plan an event with other families.
  • Seek out service trips sponsored by faith or volunteer organizations (e.g., Habitat for Humanity).
  • Use the time to make college visits with your teen.
  • Encourage youth groups to plan supervised events over spring break.
  • Keep your teen safe – Say just say “NO” to unsupervised spring break trips!

The AAP links the high crash rate of teens to these influences:

  • Lack of driver experience
  • Young age at getting a license
  • Failure to use safety belts
  • Inadequate skills at noticing hazards
  • Distractions (cell phones, food, drink, music)
  • Transporting teen passengers
  • Nighttime driving
  • Speeding and reckless driving
  • Fatigue
  • Unsafe vehicle choice (smaller and older cars with fewer safety features)
  • Alcohol use
  • Drug or medication use
  • Inadequate parental limit setting
  • No license, or revoked license
  • ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

New Guidelines

To encourage teen driving safety, the AAP suggests pediatricians do the following:

  • Alert parents and teens about high-risk situations for teen drivers
  • Encourage seat belt use
  • Discourage distractions when driving
  • Counsel teens about the dangers of driving while impaired
  • Encourage parents to make sure vehicles are safe and in good condition
  • Encourage parents to set rules and control vehicle access. 

One study of the drinking patterns of students on spring break found the following to be true:

  • The average male reported drinking 18 drinks per day and the average female 10 drinks per day.
  • Of the 783 young people surveyed, more than 50 percent of men and 40 percent of women said that they drank until they became sick or passed out at least once.
  • 40% of the men and 33% or the women reported being drunk daily. (May 1998 Journal of American-College Health)

     

The U.S. Department of State fact sheet on “Spring Break in Cancun” states "alcohol is involved in the vast majority of arrests, accidents, violent crimes and deaths suffered by American tourists in Cancun."


Alcohol use by teens leads to many costly consequences, many of which are preventable, including traffic crashes, crime, suicide, and poor school performance.


Website resources for more information about the dangers of unsupervised spring break trips:

U.S. State Department: http://travel.state.gov/travel/livingabroad_springbreak.html

American Medical Association: www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/9914.html

Save A Life, Atlanta, Georgia