CALIFORNIA
"Make the Right Choices" Project

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION

Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death of people 15-20 years old. Teen drivers are responsible for a disproportionately high percentage of these collisions, as well as those resulting in non-fatal injuries. In California, 16-year old drivers involved in vehicle collisions are found at fault 66 percent of the time. The assumption is that the same holds true in the Sacramento area, as well as the remainder of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) Valley Division's jurisdiction. This increased risk is the result of a combination of factors, including: inexperience, immaturity, and too often, the use of alcohol and/or other drugs.

The objective of the “Make the Right Choices” program is to increase Drinking Under the Influence (DUI) awareness within a targeted group. The program would be made available to students in public and private high schools within the Sacramento, Placer, San Joaquin, El Dorado, and Yolo Counties during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 school years.

The project goals included:

• Receiving confirmations from 90 high schools, approximately 30 per year, for attendance at the three “Make the Right Choices” programs at ARCO Arena. One high school and a group of student representatives would be selected as the program hosts for each year.

• Having 60-80 students produce, choreograph, and present three programs with the anti-drinking and driving messages targeted towards 10,000 teens;

• Developing, designing, purchasing, producing, and distributing anti-alcohol and/or drug literature;

• Having input from each schools’ prevention coordinators on how to make a more successful program for the educators and administrators;

• Including the CHP Office of Public Affairs in the planning, activity, and evaluation phases of the project;

• Issuing press releases for the “Make the Right Choices” program during the months of April and May of each year; and

• Improving program presentation and content by inviting two representatives from each attending school, including one student and one faculty member, to evaluate and critique the program.

Project resources were made available for three “Make the Right Choices” programs to be conducted at ARCO Arena over a three-year period. Ninety schools within Sacramento, Placer, San Joaquin, El Dorado, and Yolo Counties participated in these programs. There was an emphasis on educating teens on the nationwide death statistics of alcohol-related collisions. In addition to the educational events at ARCO Arena, project funds provided for the purchase and distribution of a variety of promotional material such as: polo shirts, posters, dog tags, license plate frames, Hacky-Sac balls, key chains, lanyards, magnetic phone books, magazines, and auto litter bags.

More than 10,000 teens (from 92 high schools) within the targeted age group attended one of the “Make the Right Choices" programs at ARCO Arena. These programs focused on high school juniors and seniors, challenging them to think about drinking, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions.

This program was successful because it challenged the perceptions of a statistically endangered target age group and increased education and awareness regarding the severity and consequences of drinking and driving. The feedback from students, chaperones, and educators confirmed that this program made a positive impact.

As a result:

• Anti-alcohol and drug posters, magazines, and flyers were produced.
• The CHP Valley Division identified host schools from target regions that would allow ethnic diversity, cultural differences, and area-specific dilemmas to be addressed. The CHP solicited input about the program from the regional school districts and school prevention coordinators.
• The CHP Office of Public Affairs (OPA) was included in all phases of this Project. OPA suggested various solutions and options to assist in making this program a success.