Mention the famous words ‘ghost chips’ to a teenager and they should recognise them. The anti-drink driving ad was popular with teens, but behind it drove a powerful and serious message.

Our own College students commitment to help tackle youth drink driving happens during SADD Week in August (Students Against Driving Drunk). Unfortunately the facts are there - youth drink-driving is one of the largest causes of death and injuries on New Zealand roads.

Coffins marked with crosses and chalk art was used as a thought provoking tool. Balloons with SADD messages decorated the senior areas. SADD committee members wore T-Shirts with key slogans such as ‘he said he hadn’t had anything to drink’. Planning ahead when partying and watching out for your mates was the idea reinforced from two local constables from the Serious Crash Unit who came and spoke to the students. Students were invited to enter the SKC SADD poster competition. This year the challenge was to create an interesting and effective poster which best showed the safe message on alcohol and good decision making, and also the objective for creating the best anti-drink driving commercial in the video competition through Blue Light.

A unique experience for the Yr10 health students will be wearing ‘drunk goggles’ during the Drug Awareness Unit which gives the ‘feeling’ of the effects of alcohol. Local Youth Education constable Doris Silvester will be speaking to Health classes and the students will be able to see how alcohol affects their reaction time and coordination.

Our Year 7 and 8 students also joined in on the week’s events and lined up on the field in front of the Sports Centre to spell a massive ‘SADD’ and ‘ZERO’ photo. This related to the zero alcohol limit for the under-20s introduced a year ago.

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