“Project Crash” illustrates drinking and driving danger in Brick Township

     Authorities staged a mock car crash and response at Brick Township High School Tuesday morning as part of

    Authorities staged a mock car crash and response at Brick Township High School Tuesday morning as part of "Project Crash." (Photo: Brick Township Police Department)

    As graduation approaches, it’s once again prom season, and police in Brick Township want students to make smart decisions during that special night.

    About a third of all car crashes involving teenagers are alcohol related, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

    Township emergency services staged a drill Tuesday at Brick High School, dubbed “Project Crash,” to demonstrate the consequences of making poor choices. 

    “The program illustrates to high school students the potential horrors that can occur when people drink and drive,” police said in a release. “As the prom season approaches, we want to remind all our young people to be safe and ‘arrive alive!'”

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    Members of the Brick Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Brick Township Emergency Medical Service, Brick Township Volunteer EMS, Pioneer Hose Fire Company, and MONOC paramedics participated.

    The Palo Alto Medical Foundation offers tips on how parents can speak with their children about alcohol use:

    Talk about family expectations and rules about alcohol use. Clearly state and enforce the consequences for breaking the rules.
    Frequently express how you feel about underage drinking. However, do not lecture or threaten your teen about alcohol use.
    Talk about personal, family, social, or religious values that give your teen reasons not to drink.
    Make it clear that drinking and driving or riding with someone who has been drinking will not be tolerated. Ask your teen to call for a ride, take a cab, or call for permission to stay overnight if he or she or a friend who is driving has been drinking. This does not give teens permission to drink, it tells them that their safety is most important.
    Talk with your teen about ways to handle pressure from friends to drink. Teach your teen how to say “no” and to suggest doing something different (safe). To feel comfortable talking openly with you, your teen needs to know that you will not punish him or her for being honest.

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