MADD Teams up With State Farm to Create Awareness among Students about the Effects of Alcohol and Marijuana Use

Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) and State Farm® are encouraging the youth to join MADD’s Power of You(th)® program this fall to know about alcohol and marijuana.

With Halloween round the corner and fall festivals starting, MADD, along with its associates all over the country, is hosting events in schools and communities. Through these events, knowledge about alcohol and drug use is being spread among teens; they are also being encouraged to say no to these addictions before the age of 21. At the event, experts also cleared the air around certain myths that surround both.

Helen Marie, MADD National President and a mother who lost her 16-year-old daughter, Helen Marie, in a road accident caused by a 17-year-old driver under the influence of alcohol and marijuana, said, “As a mother, I know we can’t always be there to keep our children safe. What we can do is give them the information they need to make smart, healthy decisions.”

According to statistics, underage drinking was the reason behind 4,300 deaths in a year, which is more than all banned drugs combined. What is more shocking is that two out of three deaths caused due to underage drinking do not involve a vehicle.

MADD’s Power of You(th)® program on its website, has uploaded a booklet for teens that has Marijuana facts, facts related to drug and alcohol abuse. The booklet also shares real-life stories of teens who experienced the consequences of this abuse.

Additionally, Power of You(th) talks about marijuana myths along with facts: There is a possibility that about one among ten marijuana users have high chances of becoming addicted in the future–for those who start abusing before they attain the age of 18, the chances rise to one in six.

Witty said,

Marijuana doesn’t make you smarter or more focused. It especially doesn’t make you a better driver. Marijuana directly affects the parts of the brain responsible for memory, learning, attention, decision making, coordination, reaction time, and emotion. For teens with developing brains, those affects are amplified. This month and always, MADD wants to remind teens to stay safe by saying no to alcohol and drugs and to always find a safe and sober ride home.