OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 13, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Manitoba middle and high school students are seeing how one split-second decision to drive impaired today can take away all their tomorrows in MADD Canada’s latest School Assembly Program.
Supported by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), the 45-minute program titled No Tomorrow shows students how mixing alcohol, cannabis and other drugs with driving can have tragic and permanent consequences. Crashes were the leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 16 and 25 years in 2014, and MADD Canada estimates more than half of those crashes involved alcohol and/or drugs.
“Our School Assembly Program combines a fictional story, interviews with real-life victims/survivors of impaired driving, and some powerful and sobering facts about the disproportionate toll impaired driving takes on young people,” said MADD Canada Chief Operating Officer Dawn Regan. “We want to give students a realistic idea about all the things that can happen if they drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver, and then start a conversation about everything they can to protect themselves.”
MADD Canada and MPI host a special screening of No Tomorrow today at College St. Norbert Collegiate in Winnipeg to highlight the program’s tour of schools across the province.
No Tomorrow tells the story of bandmates Marcus, Corey, Trevor and Lee. After winning a contest to record a demo, they get an incredible chance to audition for a music school. Before their audition, Trevor has a few drinks. He is affected more than he thinks, and makes mistakes during the audition. Marcus is offered a spot at the school right away, and Corey and Lee are given an opportunity to re-apply next year. But Trevor, who was obviously impaired during the audition, is not offered a spot or chance to re-apply. The school has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol or drugs. Trevor storms off to the car. Marcus tries unsuccessfully to take the keys. Realizing he can’t stop Trevor from driving away, Marcus jumps in the car. What happens next changes all of their lives forever.
A clip of the new program is available on MADD Canada’s web site. The formal presentation is supplemented by an Educators’ Guide to help teachers and counsellors continue the crucial sober driving conversation throughout the school year.
MPI, a long-time sponsor of the School Assembly Program, is funding 109 presentations of the program at Manitoba schools this year.
“At MPI, we are striving to create a traffic safety culture which keeps roads safe for everyone,” said Satvir Jatana, MPI Vice-President, Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer. “This partnership with MADD Canada is a vital way to help reach young people, and to educate them about the very real tragedies and very real consequences that come from impaired driving. MPI is proud to be part of this effort to educate young people and help them build a foundation for life-long safe and sober driving.”
Surveys show MADD Canada’s education efforts are resonating with young people. In a 2017-2018 survey about that year’s School Assembly Program, titled The Pact, students said:
- the program effectively delivered the sober driving message (66%);
- it motivated them to make the right decision when it comes to preventing impaired driving (74%);
- they had or planned to have conversations with family and friends about impaired driving (73%);
- and they supported having a similar presentation at the school the following year (97%).