Moses Lake Youth Action Team reminds peers to stay safe

We are concerned with the health and safety of our peers because:

Teens who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after the age of 21, according to dosomething.org.

Teens who drink heavily are three times more likely to try and hurt themselves (self-harm, attempt suicide, etc.) than those who choose to abstain.

In 2012, 18 percent of 10th grade and 22 percent of 12th grade Moses Lake High School students report riding with a drive that had been drinking, according to Washington State's Healthy Youth Survey 2012.

Talking on a cell phone with or without a hands-free device - increases the chance of crashing by four times, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Texting drivers look down for five seconds at a time on average - enough time at highway speeds to cover more than a football field.

A texting driver is 23 times more likely to get into a crash than a non-texting driver.

We encourage our peers to make healthy choices! Stay sober and park your phone when you drive.

Remember most (73 percent) of Moses Lake High School students choose not to use alcohol and other drugs, let's make it 100 percent.

Leigh Allison-Ray

On behalf of the Moses Lake High School Youth Action Team