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Unison Behavioral Health Group, which offers care for behavioral health and substance abuse issues of adults, adolescents and children, is urging area mobile phone users to text the prevention message, “Live to celebrate another day. Stay sober. Pass it on!” to family and friends this spring.
Unison, in partnership with the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, is working to increase teen awareness of the risks and danger associated with alcohol and other drug use (AOD) during the upcoming prom and graduation season.
The texting initiative is part of Unison’s Spring Prom and Graduation prevention campaign, funded by the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County. The campaign is modeled after Unison’s successful “Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving” campaign launched during the 2010 holiday season.
According to results from a national survey released last year by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), 90 percent of teens believe their counterparts are more likely to drink and drive on prom night and 79 percent believe the same is true for graduation night. Yet, that belief does not translate to concern, as only 25 percent of teens say that driving on prom night and graduation night, respectively, comes with a high degree of danger.
“The prom and graduation season, filled with reasons to celebrate, puts teens at risk,” said Dr. Larry Hamme, Chief Clinical Officer for Unison. “Unison’s goal is to raise awareness of the very real dangers of alcohol and drug use among Lucas County teens and their parents during prom and graduation and encourage them to make safe choices,” he said.
Texting has become the preferred method of communication among teens and young adults--two of the groups most at risk for AOD use and impaired driving. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, cell phones are the most popular mobile technology among young adults. Eighty-one percent own their own cell phone and 43 percent of young adult cell phone owners, own a smartphone with Internet accessibility.
Seventy-two percent of all teens are text messagers and two-thirds of teen texters say they are more likely to use their cell phones to text their friends than talk to them by cell phone.
According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Fatality Analysis Reporting System), alcohol-related fatalities involving teens increase between the middle of April and the middle of June each year. By raising awareness of the increased risks during this timeframe and encouraging teens to make safe choices, Unison and the Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County hope to help save lives.
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