Teens Learn First-Hand Dangers of Underage Drinking and Drunk Driving at the California State Fair
Firefighter/paramedic team shares real-life experiences
August 28 , 2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2007) - Life on the streets takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a firefighter/paramedic. The streets are where the crashes occur…where poor choices have played out…where teamwork is a must…where split seconds can save a life.
It’s these kinds of life-changing experiences that create the backdrop for a dramatic, gripping program called “Street Smart” that will be presented at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28, to more than 100 teens at the California State Fair as part of “First Responders’ Day.” California Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner of Field Operations Arthur Anderson will deliver the opening remarks.
Street Smart takes teens into the real-life drama experienced by firefighter/paramedics as they work to save the lives of youth who have made poor choices when it comes to underage drinking or using illegal drugs.
“Anheuser-Busch is proud of its efforts to encourage California teens to make safe, smart decisions, including wearing their seat belts and not drinking when they’re underage,” said Andrew Baldonado, western region vice president of Government Affairs at Anheuser-Busch Cos. “This presentation reinforces important safety messages and makes a powerful impression on teens.
During the presentation, a team of two certified paramedics walks audiences through what happens at a trauma scene using the medical equipment they employ daily in their jobs. From taking a pulse, to loading the victim onto a backboard, to simulating an IV-line being inserted, students can see and feel what it’s like to try to save a life.
Audience members come to know the power of making the right choices, from choosing not to engage in underage drinking or use illegal drugs to choosing to wear a seat belt….and they come to understand the consequences associated with their actions and the importance and value of their own lives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen drunk-driving fatalities are down 67 percent nationwide and 61 percent statewide since 1982. In addition, according to the federal government’s 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 83 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds do not drink. In California, that number is slightly higher, at 84 percent.
Street Smart is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and its local wholesaler, Markstein Beverage Co., as part of the company’s commitment to fight underage drinking and drunk driving. “Our state has made great progress in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking,” said Hayden Markstein, president and chief executive officer of Markstein Beverage. “But there’s more work to be done, and we all have a role to play in keeping our roads and our teens safe.”
In 2007 alone, Anheuser-Busch has sponsored 17 Street Smart presentations to more than 6,000 students and members of the military in California. The company is proudly celebrating a century of commitment to the Golden State and part of that commitment is promoting responsibility. Since 1982, the company and its 600 wholesalers nationwide, including the 44 in California, have invested more than $675 million in more than two-dozen community-based alcohol awareness and education programs and national advertising campaigns to help promote responsible drinking and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving.
For more information about the company’s responsibility efforts, as well as the progress being made, please visit www.beeresponsible.com. For more about Street Smart, please visit www.streetsmartprogram.com.
Firefighter/paramedic team shares real-life experiences
August 28 , 2007
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Aug. 28, 2007) - Life on the streets takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a firefighter/paramedic. The streets are where the crashes occur…where poor choices have played out…where teamwork is a must…where split seconds can save a life.
It’s these kinds of life-changing experiences that create the backdrop for a dramatic, gripping program called “Street Smart” that will be presented at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28, to more than 100 teens at the California State Fair as part of “First Responders’ Day.” California Highway Patrol Assistant Commissioner of Field Operations Arthur Anderson will deliver the opening remarks.
Street Smart takes teens into the real-life drama experienced by firefighter/paramedics as they work to save the lives of youth who have made poor choices when it comes to underage drinking or using illegal drugs.
“Anheuser-Busch is proud of its efforts to encourage California teens to make safe, smart decisions, including wearing their seat belts and not drinking when they’re underage,” said Andrew Baldonado, western region vice president of Government Affairs at Anheuser-Busch Cos. “This presentation reinforces important safety messages and makes a powerful impression on teens.
During the presentation, a team of two certified paramedics walks audiences through what happens at a trauma scene using the medical equipment they employ daily in their jobs. From taking a pulse, to loading the victim onto a backboard, to simulating an IV-line being inserted, students can see and feel what it’s like to try to save a life.
Audience members come to know the power of making the right choices, from choosing not to engage in underage drinking or use illegal drugs to choosing to wear a seat belt….and they come to understand the consequences associated with their actions and the importance and value of their own lives.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teen drunk-driving fatalities are down 67 percent nationwide and 61 percent statewide since 1982. In addition, according to the federal government’s 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 83 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds do not drink. In California, that number is slightly higher, at 84 percent.
Street Smart is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and its local wholesaler, Markstein Beverage Co., as part of the company’s commitment to fight underage drinking and drunk driving. “Our state has made great progress in the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking,” said Hayden Markstein, president and chief executive officer of Markstein Beverage. “But there’s more work to be done, and we all have a role to play in keeping our roads and our teens safe.”
In 2007 alone, Anheuser-Busch has sponsored 17 Street Smart presentations to more than 6,000 students and members of the military in California. The company is proudly celebrating a century of commitment to the Golden State and part of that commitment is promoting responsibility. Since 1982, the company and its 600 wholesalers nationwide, including the 44 in California, have invested more than $675 million in more than two-dozen community-based alcohol awareness and education programs and national advertising campaigns to help promote responsible drinking and discourage alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving.
For more information about the company’s responsibility efforts, as well as the progress being made, please visit www.beeresponsible.com. For more about Street Smart, please visit www.streetsmartprogram.com.