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Safe and Sober Teaches Kids the Dangers of Alcohol

Edwin Land
/
Flickr

Each year in Missouri schools, teens are told about the dangers of drinking and driving through a program called Safe and Sober.  KSMU’s Michele Skalicky tells us more about the Springfield-based program.

Safe and Sober is a non-profit organization that serves the state of Missouri.  It was created in Springfield Public Schools ten years ago by local attorney Kurt Larson.

Its director, Mackenzie Lee, says, during the 2013-2014 school year the program was in 189 schools across the state.

"Basically, the goal of our program is to teach teens about the dangers of underage drinking and drinking and driving, and we do that through a student video program," she said.

The videos, featuring teens who have been affected by drunk driving, are provided free to schools.

"We're hoping to educate them with stories of real teens who have gone through horrible tragedies and people their ages in their own state that can educate them themselves and to show them, you know, 'I chose to drink and drive, and this is where I ended up,'" she said.

Safe and Sober targets both high school students and middle school students and their parents.  Lee says the high school program offers schools a kit containing a flash drive with a video on it, gift cards to use as incentives and pledge cards.

"For schools to pass out to students, and we ask that they host an assembly and show that video and distribute the pledge cards to their students and collect the pledge cards at the end of the assembly asking the students to commit to be safe and sober," she said.

Schools with the highest participation receive cash incentives.  She says they include middle schools because younger kids need to know the consequences of drinking and driving, too.

"Believe it or not, the typical age for a teen to try their first sip of alcohol is 12, so that is prime middle school years, and we know that the pressures are just at a huge level during the middle school years, so that's why we know that it's important to start that conversation about alcohol as soon as possible," she said.

Lee says the goal of Safe and Sober isn’t just to tell kids why they shouldn’t drink and drive but to change the culture of underage drinking at their schools.

Safe and Sober receives grant money from the Missouri Department of Transportation, but it’s largely funded by private donations. 

The organization held a fundraiser in Springfield this morning so it can expand the program to more schools.

To learn more about Missouri Safe and Sober, click here.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.