Conversations can save lives

To the editor:
With the holidays come the traditions of attending spirited parties to bring in the “good cheer.”
During this time, teens are faced with increased pressures to use drugs and alcohol.
And sometimes they do so before getting behind the wheel.
December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
Most people are well aware of the consequences of drinking and driving. Drugs, including those prescribed by physicians, can also impair judgment and motor skills.
Conservative estimates show that 20 percent of crashes in the U.S. are caused by drugged driving.
This translates into about 6,761 deaths, 440,000 injuries, and $59.9 billion in costs each year.
In a national survey, drugs were present more than seven times as frequently as alcohol among weekend nighttime drivers in the U.S., with 16 percent testing positive for drugs, compared to 2 percent testing at or above the legal limit for alcohol. Worse yet, a 2010 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association revealed that one in three fatally injured drivers tested positive for an illicit drug or medication with the ability to impair at the time of the crash.
The risks are even greater for teens, who, due to their inexperience, are already more likely to be involved in a crash. When this lack of experience is combined with the use of substances that may alter perception, cognition, and reaction time, the results can be tragic.
While the number of drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes has declined over the past five years, the number of drivers who tested postitive for drugs has increased by 5 percent.
Of the positive drug tests, most were for marijuana, followed by cocaine and prescription drugs. Some of thee most commonly abused substances by teenagers are prescription drugs, especially painkillers (such as Vicodin or OxyContin), tranquilizers, and stimulants (such as Adderall or Ritalin).
The statistics are alarming regarding drugged driving in teenagers. Among high school seniors in 2011, approximately one in eight reported that in the two weeks prior to the survey they had driven after smoking marijuana — more than the number that reported driving after consuming alcohol.
Across age groups, the rate of driving under the influence of illicit drugs in 2011 was highest among young adults aged 18 to 25 at 11.6 percent.
Youth aged 12-17 who reported that their parents always or sometimes engaged in monitoring behaviors are far less likely to have used illicit drugs or binged on alcohol during the past month. We ask that parents and adult caregivers use their powerful influence to convince children in their care to avoid alcohol until they are legally old enough to drink and have the knowledge and skills to make appropriate decisions, to never use illegal drugs, and follow the directions for prescription drugs carefully.
These conversations could save lives.
Kelly Sickafoose, Adams County Substance Abuse Awareness Council
P.J. Corwin, Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition

A debt owed
To the editor:
We would like to convey our good wishes, gratefulness, and heartfelt thank-yous to all of the Portland Forge retirees at this holiday season.
The Christmas season is the time for giving, and we feel we would be remiss not to give recognition to all of the people who came before us and have made the Portland Forge the place it is today.
All too often we dismiss the past and delude ourselves into believing we are self-made men. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Every great member of the union and the company we have present day are reflections of the people who came before us. We are eternally grateful for the character, work ethic, and technical skills our elders have helped instill and cultivate in us.
These people have given us a gift that is the true spirit of Christmas. They have given us a piece of themselves, and we should eternally cherish it.
Our responsibility at this juncture is to repay that gift to everyone we can coming after us, to give pieces of ourselves to the younger ones every day to ensure the legacy continues.
Thank you very much to all you retirees for everything you have been and done. We will continue to pass on the lessons and knowledge as best we can.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and once again thank you for everything you have done for all of us.
Bill Coleman, Blacksmith Local 1620
Guy Pensinger, Teamster Local
Doug Breymaier, Machinist Local 159[[In-content Ad]]