Parents, youth and community members are invited to attend
future for young adults by having a discussion on underage drinking and impaired driving.
The event will be held Thu., Dec. 19 at Evergreen High School. Here is more information:
WHAT: Connect Evergreen Community Coalition, in collaboration with the State’s Target Zero program, Vancouver Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol, is hosting a town hall meeting to discuss underage drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances. In addition, Washington State Patrol will offer tours of their Mobile Impaired Driving Unit (MIDU) as part of the event. This fully retrofitted 36-foot RV serves as a command post for DUI Emphasis Patrols and operates like a full-service police station on wheels assisting law enforcement in processing impaired drivers.
WHEN: Thu., Dec. 19, 2019, 6:30-7:30 p.m. MIDU tours from 6–6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Evergreen High School Auditorium, 14300 NE 18th St., Vancouver WA 98684
WHO: Parents, youth and community members are invited to attend. Panelists will represent the following agencies: Vancouver Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Clark County Public Health, STASHA (Strong Teens Against Substance Hazards and Abuse), and State Farm. Shane Gardner, representing Connect Evergreen, will moderate.
WHY: In Washington state, alcohol and impaired driving impacted our young adults—and our community at large—in the following ways:
- Nearly half of all traffic fatalities in Washington involved an impaired driver
- Drivers who are impaired from more than one substance (called poly-drug drivers), are the most common type of impaired driver involved in fatal crashes
- From 2008-2016, one in four drivers, ages 16-18, involved in fatal crashes tested positive for multiple substances
- By 2016, poly-drug drivers were more than double the number of alcohol-only drivers and five times higher than the number of THC (cannabis)-only drivers involved in fatal crashes.
- The number of poly-drug drivers has increased an average of 15 percent every year since 2012.
Connect Evergreen is a community coalition whose focus is on preventing youth substance use within the Evergreen Public Schools boundaries (http://connectevergreen.org/).
Target Zero is Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s strategic plan for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2030 (http://www.targetzero.com/).
Information provided by Evergreen School District.
