Jake Lipscomb is graduating from Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah, this week. He’s the first child in his family to graduate. The main thing on his mind is his future. “I’m worried about finding a job where I don’t have to sell my soul,” he says.
Jake’s mom Tiffiny, on the other hand, has other concerns. “He’s an adult, but I don’t want him to think he’s beyond my rules. Graduates are in celebration mode, where they aren’t thinking — more so than normal,” she says.
Dave Hasleton, MD, an emergency physician at Riverton Hospital, knows what graduates, and parents, need to watch out for – people driving under the influence.
“Drunk driving is an especially dangerous threat on graduation night,” he says. “And it threatens everyone — drivers, families, and victims.”
Here are tips to help graduates and their parents have a safe and happy graduation:
FOR STUDENTS:
- Share your graduation and post-graduation plans with parents.
- Make sure your cell phone is fully charged.
- Wear a seatbelt – even in the back seat.
- Stay with a group of friends and watch out for one another.
- Don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Don’t get in a vehicle with a driver who’s under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Report any illegal drug or alcohol use as well as unsafe behaviors such as threats, assaults, and weapons.
FOR PARENTS:
- Be aware of your student’s plan for graduation and post-graduation.
- Know who your son or daughter will be with and talk to their parents to coordinate plans.
- Make sure your child’s cell phone is fully charged.
- Provide your child with the names and numbers of adults they can call — besides you — in case they feel unsafe.
- Wait up for your child to make sure he or she returns safely.
- Talk with your child about drugs and alcohol; set expectations.
- Report any illegal drug or alcohol use as well as unsafe behaviors such as threats, assaults, and weapons.