MOCK CRASH SOBERS TEENS TO REAL PERILS OF DRUNKEN DRIVING

When Notre Dame Regional High School students appeared outside their school Thursday morning, they saw a wrecked car occupied by four classmates.

The wailing sirens and blaring horns of approaching ambulances, fire trucks and police cars gave notice of the seriousness of the apparent accident, as did the arrival of a hearse just minutes later.

Some students had somber faces as they watched emergency personnel wheel away survivors of the wreck on stretchers to awaiting ambulances that sped off to local hospitals. Although some students snickered at senior Stephen Schwartz's unsuccessful attempt to pass a sobriety test, many grew quiet at his arrest.

And then emergency officials wheeled Michael Siebert's body to a nearby hearse waiting to carry his remains to a local funeral home. Some students laughed -- perhaps from amusement, but more likely out of nervousness -- as they watched his hysterical mother, Denise Siebert, react to the death of her son.

"Why are you laughing?" a parent near tears questioned as she watched students react to the simulated event. "This could be you. It's serious."

That was the message of the Every 15 Minutes program presented by the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention team, or ASAP, at Notre Dame. The mock car accident was part of two days' worth of events being presented to warn students about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse as the graduation and prom seasons approach.

Every 15 Minutes program

Every 15 Minutes is a national program designed to emphasize to students that the decision to consume alcohol can affect many more people than just the one who drinks. Its name is based on the rate of alcohol-related traffic collisions in the United States.

Adults said the general "ignorance of youth" and their belief that bad things can't happen to them may have attributed to the lack of seriousness in some students.

"I think because it's not real, so to speak, some of them have a tendency to not take it so serious," said teacher Carol Glueck, who helped organize the activities. "It's their way of saying It can't happen to me. I'm invincible.'"

The living dead'

As part of program's activities, pre-selected students were collected by a black-shrouded form representing the Grim Reaper as obituaries written by their parents were read. Heartbeats heard over the school's public address system every quarter-hour preceded each collection.

Faces of the students -- called "the living dead" -- were covered in white make-up, and students were not allowed to speak to others throughout the day. Neither did they return home that evening.

Instead, students participated in a lock-in at the DePaul Center where they received additional counseling about the dangers of substance abuse.

As students were collected from classes, Cape Girardeau police officers notified parents of their children's "deaths." Although they knew the events were simulated, parents like Mary Gosche called the entire process "chilling."

"I'm one of the organizers and I knew it was coming, but I've been dreading this day for a long time," said Gosche, whose daughter, Amanda, was among participants. "Writing the obituary was very difficult, because you don't foresee that your child will precede you in death."

Students said they had mixed responses to the events. It's natural for some to laugh off the events as fake, they said, but others will remember the message they received.

"I hope people take it home with them," said senior Emily Sharp. "I have learned about the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse, and if this can affect somebody it would really be good."

Butch Eichhorn, whose daughter, Jill, was a survivor in the simulated crash, said he hopes students recognize the importance of good decision-making. No parent wants to outlive their children, especially if the death was preventable.

"It's every parent's nightmare," said Eichhorn. "If it just makes one kid stop and think about it, it's worth it.".