The Dover Police Department is urging teens to make smart choices on prom night with the launch of the I PROMise campaign. The campaign promotes students abstaining from the use of drugs and alcohol and respecting their dates. Partners in the campaign include Dover High School and North Dover Chick-fil-A. As students purchase tickets for prom, they are encouraged to complete the pledge.
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Every student who completes the pledge will receive a coupon from North Dover Chick-fil-A for a free chicken sandwich and have their pledge card entered into a Grand Prize Raffle. The Grand Prize is for limousine transportation with a motorcycle escort by Dover Police Officers, for the winner and up to seven friends on prom night.
In addition to the limo service, North Dover Chick-Fil-A is offering the students a free dinner, complete with table service, before the Dover High School prom. “The North Dover Chick-fil-A is proud to provide a coupon for an Original Chick-fil-A Sandwich to each student that takes the “I PROMise” pledge to abstain from alcohol and drugs on prom night. By taking the pledge, the students are also entered into a raffle for a special dinner for six at Chick-fil-A including table side service” said Kira Tieman, Marketing Director for North Dover Chick-fil-A.
The Dover High School will help in spreading the campaign message at Dover High School by featuring the I PROMise campaign on video boards throughout the school, daily announcements, and anytime prom tickets are sold. Capital School District Superintendent, Dr. Dan Shelton, added “The Capital School District is grateful for the wonderful partnership we have with the Dover Police Department. The I PROMise a Safe and Sober prom is another great example of how Dover High School and the Dover PD are working together to ensure that our students are safe and demonstrates the commitment we all share to the youth in our community.”
HOW TO ENTER:
Any Dover High School student can take the I Promise Pledge by visiting the prom ticket sales location during school hours when tickets go on sale. Entries for the Grand Prize package will be accepted through May 6th. Winner will be notified within 48 hours of the deadline. Each student will receive a FREE Chick-fil-A Sandwich coupon just by completing the pledge.
Statistics:
–Accidents are the number one cause of death for young people aged 12 to 19, and those involving motor vehicles are the most common. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, roughly a third of alcohol-related teen traffic fatalities occur between April and June, which is considered the peak of prom season.
-For many students, prom is one of the highlights of their high school career but for others, it’s an invitation to get intoxicated. An AAA survey of teens aged 16 to 19, published in February 2014, found that 41 percent said it was likely that they or their friends would use drugs or alcohol on prom night.
-Most teens learn about the perils of driving under the influence during Driver’s Ed, but their fear of getting into trouble with their parents appears to outweigh the risk. According to AAA, 84 percent of teens surveyed said their friends would be more likely to get behind the wheel after drinking than to call home for a ride (if they believed they’d get in trouble for using alcohol). Another 22 percent said they’d ride in a car with someone who was impaired instead of calling their parents.
-Having just one or two drinks is bad enough, but the majority of teens are downing substantially more on prom night. According to Liberty Mutual, 54 percent of teens who admitted to drinking during or after the prom said they consumed four or more alcoholic beverages.
-Despite the fact that more teens are involved in fatal traffic accidents related to alcohol during prom season, the majority of high school aged students don’t seem to recognize how dangerous it actually is. A Liberty Mutual survey of nearly 2,300 juniors and seniors found that just 20 percent believe being on the roads on prom night is dangerous. Six percent of those surveyed admitted to driving under the influence after prom.
-Feeling accepted by your friends often leads teens to do things they normally wouldn’t, including drinking or using drugs on prom night. Data from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Chrysler found that nearly 75 percent of teens felt pressured to use alcohol while another 49 percent said their friends encouraged them to try drugs during prom.
