Learning to make positive, and not destructive, decisions

The dangers of making destructive decisions — doing drugs, drinking and driving, using violence to solve problems — are ballyhooed not only by society’s elders these days, but oftentimes by wise and forward-thinking young people. Young people who have done enough research, read enough news clippings, seen enough news stories, attended enough funerals, visited enough hospitals and listened to enough survivors to know that destructive decisions can lead to disaster.

Many of those youngsters have joined groups like SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions. The acronym used to stand for Students Against Drunk Driving, but the dangers have escalated beyond drinking alcohol in today’s crazy world.

There are chapters of SADD in high schools around the nation. There’s one right here in the Harlem Valley, at Stissing Mountain Middle/High School in Pine Plains. The Stissing SADD Chapter keeps busy with various events aimed at making an impression on the student population. It does so with days like Grim Reaper Day, which is when a student, dressed like the Grim Reaper, taps the shoulder of a random student every 30 minutes, representing the one person who is killed by an impaired driver every 33 minutes. That person’s face is then painted white and he/she must then wear a T-shirt that reads, “Don’t talk to me, I’m just a memory,� for the rest of the day. At the end of the day the student “ghosts� line up and everyone in the school can see how many students “died� as a result of destructive decisions. It’s a powerful tool to teach students not to drink and drive. Those in SADD believe it works.

There are also events like the Battle of the Belts, where teams of students race against each other to get the best time for buckling themselves into all four seated positions in a car. The event promotes seat belt use while making the “Buckle Up� mantra a little more fun for everyone involved.

Then there are larger regional events, like this week’s Sean’s Run, for all members of the community to participate in. The 5K run/walk is a great fundraiser and also accomplishes the important task of keeping the fight against drunk driving in the limelight. Students from Stissing Mountain, including members of SADD, will be attending Sean’s Run this year, as they have in the past. While in Chatham, where the event is to be held, they will also partake in a second, and larger, Battle of the Belts. There will also be an information fair with groups like Reality Check (an anti-tobacco group), the sheriff’s office and other SADD Chapters from around the region.

So what does all of this mean? The special events, the unusual tactics to get people involved in a particular happening? It’s all part of the strategy to increase awareness about not only drunk driving, but all of the destructive decisions that contribute to the hardships and flat out dangers that too many of us, and many of our young, go through in life. Awareness, in many cases, that could very possibly have prevented some of those situations.

That, in a nutshell, is what SADD is trying to do. According to its Web site, “SADD recognizes that the pressures on young people to drink, use illicit drugs and engage in other unhealthy behaviors are strong. SADD seeks not to punish or alienate those students who make unfortunate choices but rather aims to inform, educate, support and empower young people to make positive decisions in their lives.�

Here’s to the students who have the courage to join SADD and the temerity to impress those virtues onto their friends, family and classmates. Here’s to all of those who support making the right decisions ­— not just in theory but in practice — so as to say “no� to destructive choices and all the damage they leave in their wake. Good job! And although it can be difficult, take heart, because the more you practice making healthy decisions the easier it will become.