In-hospital health care providers (emergency department nurses, emergency medical technicians, physicians, etc.) are on the front lines and are routinely confronted with the consequences of impaired driving. Taking care of the injured after a crash makes in-hospital health care providers very credible spokespersons in your community. Out-of-hospital health care providers (school nurses, occupational nurses, rehabilitation specialists, etc.) deal with the aftermath of crashes in a different way. They deal with the emotions of students, employees, and families who are at a loss to understand the senseless and preventable tragedy that has occurred because of an impaired driver.

Partnering with health care providers is a natural choice.

Most health care professionals choose the field because they care about saving lives and preventing injuries. They care about people and their community. They want to get impaired drivers off the roadways as much as the local police. As a member of the community, they want to do their part to create a safe community for everyone. Consider the following ideas as you begin planning 3D Prevention Month and year-round events and make the medical/health care provider community part of your Safe Community.

Ideas for 3D Prevention Month activities:

• Have a press conference at your local hospital with police, firefighters, school officials, hospital administrators, and legislators, along with doctors, nurses, and emergency medical technicians, with an ambulance in front of the emergency department (ED). Theme: Crashes Aren't Accidents; crashes are predictable and preventable.
• Hang a banner outside your ED announcing 3D Prevention Month with a reminder for people not to drink and drive.
• Have emergency doctors and nurses available to speak at school assemblies and businesses to tell what they see in the ED after an impaired driving crash.
• Schedule tours of the ED for students.

Year-Round Activities:

• Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), in partnership with local doctors, hospitals, and fast foods restaurants, can sponsor the development of an impaired driving video by high school students.
• At the beginning of the school year, have high school students interview staff of the local ED and write an essay on drinking and driving.
• Enlist the support of groups such as Emergency Nurses CARE, Remove Intoxicated Drivers (RID), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) to speak before legislators on impaired driving issues.

Successful Alcohol and Impaired Driving Program Davis, California, Emergency Nurses CARE Take a Stand
"With our Junior Prom in early December (and my son was attending), I decided to get on the horn early and let parents know that it is unacceptable for our kids to be drinking under age 21 and that we want a safe prom night. (We had a very poor Homecoming, with a number of students being suspended for drinking on school grounds.)

"I was fortunate to have had an article printed in the local paper the week before my presentation, and a reporter attended the program. The next day, a front-page article was written, continued on another page! Great coverage, and it has resulted in the booking of another program in Sacramento because someone saw me and the article, and passed along the information to another school. For prom night, I embarked on a 'Tuxedo Stuffer' program. I made two- by eight-inch strips of fluorescent paper (donated by a local stationary store, and copied for free at Kinko's Copies), with the phrase 'The Junior Prom is a very special event, make it a safe and happy one. Don't drink and drive; wear your safety belt; Emergency Nurses CARE.' After contacting two local tux rental shops, and three flower shops, these strips were placed in the pockets of rented tuxedos, and in the corsage and boutonniere boxes.

"Tonight I received follow-up information: last year there were just over 400 attendees at the prom, and eight were suspended due to drinking; there were also numerous parties where alcohol was served by parents after the prom. This year, there were 500 kids in attendance, with only one suspension, and parents were bragging that they were hosting 'alcohol-free' parties after the prom.

"Our program can work. With dedicated volunteers who continue to get out the word, we can make a difference."

State Director's Message at a presentation to the PTA in November, Priscilla H. Ivler, 1114 Petra Court, Davis, CA 95616, phone (916) 759-2038.