Youth rally to highlight drugged driving risks

FALLBROOK – Area residents, including members of the Fallbrook Youth Advocacy Coalition, held rallies in six communities, Dec. 28-29, to raise awareness of the public safety risks associated with driving under the influence of alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications, marijuana and other drugs.

The events were timed to precede New Year’s Eve celebrations and piggyback on “Drugged Driving Awareness Month” proclamations issued by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and city councils in Escondido, Poway, San Diego and San Marcos.

These activities are part of a 3-year-old, collaborative “Put Drugged Driving on Your Radar” campaign to get people to recognize that driving under the influence of any impairing substance is dangerous. The campaign asked them to avoid driving drugged and to call 911.

The campaign also urged people to support measures to reduce drugged driving, including high visibility enforcement of drugged driving laws, to send a strong message that drugged driving is dangerous and illegal.

Teens, parents and other community members in Escondido, Fallbrook, Poway, Ramona, San Marcos and Valley Center were involved with 16 people waving colorful signs with anti-drugged driving messages at passing drivers in Fallbrook at South Mission Road and West Clemmens Lane.

Drugged driving is a major threat to county residents’ safety – as demonstrated by several fatal drugged driving crashes in inland North County in the past 18 months.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, of the drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2013 who were tested, 32 percent tested positive for legal and/or illegal drugs. Visit http://www.ots.ca.gov/OTS_and_Traffic_Safety/Score_Card.asp to see the full report.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse said that in 2014, 10 million people aged 12 or older reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year at http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/drugged-driving.

Submitted by Fallbrook Youth Advocacy Coalition.