Being able to go to schools in our mountain area is one of my favorite things to do. Our children are the future of our community and our nation, and I am honored to be able to work with our school administrators, teachers, parents and staff to ensure that our kids get the best education they can to prepare them for their future.
This week, I went to Erwin Middle School in Asheville with a group I've worked with a good deal over the past four years, the Century Council. They educate middle school, high school, and college kids about the dangers of irresponsible alcohol use and the dangers of drinking when you are underage. Most importantly, they use games and interactive activities to make learning about this serious subject fun and memorable for kids.
The 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health says that more than 10 million Americans between the ages of 12 and 20 acknowledge that they drink alcohol. In North Carolina, almost one in four of every child in that age range has consumed alcohol in the past month. Underage drinking is not only detrimental to childhood development; it also takes a toll on all drivers. 32% of all deaths due to car accidents are caused or affected by alcohol consumption by a driver. The kids at Erwin learned important lessons that I am sure they'll share with students at other schools. I look forward to continuing to bring that message to other Middle and High School students in the coming years.
I've also had the privilege to speak to and work with some of our local middle and high school football teams in the area. This week, I ran drills with the team at Polk County High School and gave a pep talk to the players at Waynesville Middle. I know from my experience that athletics can teach great lessons, such as discipline, hard work, teamwork and loyalty. When you're part of a team, you're not just on the field for yourself; you're part of something bigger than yourself. For me, football prepared me to be a leader in my community and I saw a lot of future leaders at Polk County High and Waynesville Middle.
I am proud to represent our mountain region, and am always proud to tell other Members of Congress and folks in Washington about the people in Western North Carolina and the wonderful things they are doing to better their community. I am blessed to be able to work with a number of local community leaders who are doing truly selfless things to help others get jobs, get the training they need to better prepare themselves for the future, build local business and our economy, help keeps folks in their homes, conserve the natural beauty of our environment, and help those in need. People come to Western North Carolina because of the beauty of our mountains, lakes and streams, but they stay because of the people. Seeing our remarkable young people in action this week, I am confident that things are going to keep getting better for our community.
