September arrives tomorrow and is also a month celebrated as the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month.
National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month is an expression of "...support for those living healthy and productive lives in long term recovery, we applaud those working to help struggling Americans break the cycle of abuse, and we encourage those in need to seek help," reads part of a Presidential Proclamation for NADAR by President Barack Obama dated 8-13-2010.
September has been celebrated as recovery month, NADAR, for over 20 years.
Many events, parties, picnics, traveling, and other activities are planned throughout the U.S. in both celebrating recovery month, and the upcoming Labor Day weekend.
National Recovery Month events by state
However, with Labor Day also honored, and celebrated in September, traveling, partying, drinking, as well as drunk/drugged driving occur all too often turning what was supposed to be a celebration into nightmares.
On average, those nightmares occur every 45 minutes in the U.S. with a car crash involving alcohol-impaired driving according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, (NHTSA 2009). Invariably people drink, drug, drive, and get into accidents that either kill someone else, themselves, or both, whether it is a holiday, or not.
Alcohol consumption rates are at their highest levels in 25 years. With that comes tragedies at every turn. But drunk driving fatalities have actually decreasedover the years by 44 percent since 1982 when 21,113 persons lost their lives. But the numbers are still to high. Even one death is too many.
Even though there has been a decline in young people with involvement in alcohol-impaired driving deaths, "4 people under the age of 21 die each day in alcohol-impaired driving crashes according to the Century Council taken from a report by the NHTSA in 2009.
As of this writing, there have been 7212 drunk driving deaths in America, and the numbers keep ticking higher.
Drunk driving death clock for the U.S.
State of Drunk Driving Fatalities in America
In celebration of Labor Day, and National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month this September, lets make it a safe one. Find a driver if you drink. It just isn't worth the pain, misery, anguish, despair, and ruined lives as a result of something that is so easily avoided.
For those caught up in the madness, whether from alcoholism, and/or drug abuse/addiction, it's time to celebrate your own recovery by getting help. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get into treatment, whether you have insurance, or not. You will find those places, and links in this article, and on the page.
And remember, police will be out in force throughout the Labor Day holiday. Also, don't think that doesn't apply to drugged driving as well. Take a handful of Vicodins with some Valiums as a chaser, get in your car, start nodding out, weaving, and your subject to get pulled over, or worse kill someone.
"This holiday weekend, patrols will be in full force as police remind you to " Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over." This year's campaign will focus on nighttime and weekend hours. According to Michigan State Police, over last Labor Day weekend, 21 people died in crashes, with 11 of those deaths being alcohol related reported wxyz.com.
Have a safe, and spirited Labor Day holiday, and support September Recovery Month in any way you can.
Peace...
- The adolescent brain is not fully developed, making a young person extremely vulnerable to drug and alcohol addiction among other problems.
Comments