ST. PAUL – Grade 9 St. Paul Education students learned about the consequences of impaired driving during the annual “Choices” program held at the Recreation Centre on May 6.
Organized by the Mental Health Capacity Building (MHCB) in Schools Initiative, the long-day event included a mock collision staged by emergency services in St. Paul. Similar events were also held late April in Elk Point for F.G. Miller, Heinsburg School, and Frog Lake School.
Lily Belland, program manager at MHCB for St. Paul Education, said the simulation was to show “the impact of their [students'] choices” if they choose to drive impaired, may it be due to alcohol or other factors.
But beyond the mock collision and raising awareness on impaired driving, community service organizations, as well as trauma-related groups, were also present during the day, including Lakeland Centre FASD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD Canada), Demeria Memorial Fund, Dragonfly Counselling and Support Centre (DCSC), and Native Counselling Services of Alberta.
The organizations provided information on the services they provide, so students may know whom to approach in the future if ever they need help, said Belland.
Feedback has been positive, she said. “It was eye-opening for the kids, I find.”
During the mock collision, for example, she found the students focused, silent, and barely distracted. “The silence of the students . . . was telling.”
Other activities during the day included an opportunity for students to use a special set of goggles to simulate the effects of alcohol impairment, sleep deprivation, and cannabis use, said Belland.
An interactive element aimed to give students a firsthand understanding of how impairment could impact the students' ability to drive safely.
Grade 9 students are the focus of the annual program, because they are at that age where they are about to get their driver’s licenses, according to Belland. So, it's import to raise awareness, “So that they don’t have to experience it for real.”
“We also try to do this every year in May specifically before the May long weekend because we know . . . that there are some interesting choices made over the May long weekend,” explained Belland, referring to increased vehicle accidents during holidays or long weekends.
In 2024, from May 17 to 20 alone, the Alberta RCMP removed a total of 173 impaired drivers from roads, when they conducted enhanced traffic enforcement to target impaired drivers.
Belland thanked everyone who were involved with the program, including the students “for being respectful throughout the event.”
She also reminded students to “be safe and think things through as they come up with choices they may have.”
