Good SADD News

Message from the State Coordinator

While I was at the park the other day, I sat and watched a group of young people having a good time. They were having fun running around without a care in the world. Having friends are very important for most people. You like knowing there is someone you can talk to about anything. Someone who understands you and accepts you for who you are as a person. Imagine for a moment if all of a sudden that was taken away from you. That one person who you feel you have a close connection with was no longer a part of your life. How would you feel? Now imagine for a moment if you could have done something about it. How would feel about that? If you are ever in a situation where you could have taken the keys away from an impaired driver but didn’t, you could quickly know how it feels to lose that special person in your life.

This spring many young people are going to be taking unnecessary risks. Whether that involves drinking and driving, not wearing a safety belt, texting while driving or other risky behaviors, you have the power to save that person’s life. How? By standing up and speaking out. Tell that friend that you care about them. Let them know how valuable your friendship means to them and how you want them to remain alive. Let them know you care.

I often hear young people make excuses for why they don’t speak up. “I don’t want them to think I’m stupid,” or “I don’t want to make them angry,” are common things I hear. But which would you rather have happen. Would you rather have them mad at you for one single moment in time or would you rather read about their obituary in the newspaper the next day? Sometimes talking to our friends about making good decisions can be tough. Welcome to the Real World. Nobody said it was going to be easy. The great thing about SADD is that it creates a circle of friends who look out for each other. That helps making some of those tough choices and talking about them a little easier. Have you considered role playing and seeing how you would handle a tough choice like taking the keys away or refusing to drink alcohol? It is always good to have a plan of action and know how you would handle a situation. It isn’t a question of if you will be in a situation but WHEN you will be in a situation. Anytime you are at a party or spending the night at your friends could be the time you have to make a tough decision. Do you honestly know how you would handle it?

Some of you may be planning a Spring Break trip. Others may be getting ready for prom. A few of you may even be graduating soon. My hope during this time of year is that you will look out for your friends and step up when the time comes to help save their life. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the months of March, April, and May see more deaths due to alcohol than all the other months combined. Think about that for a moment. Within three months more young people die because of drinking and driving, suicide, and drowning, than all the other nine months combined. If you are a young person that should make you think and give you a serious reality check. You may not think it will ever happen to you and it may not. But it could happen to your friend. What are you going to do about it? Could you picture what prom night would be without your friends? Could you imagine graduation and looking over at an empty seat? Make the choices you can live with! Have a safe spring semester.

Sincerely,

Verl Todd
FLORIDA SADD
State Coordinator

Quote: "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights activist, 1929-1968