`PROJECT PROM': STUDENTS WANT EVENTS FREE OF DRUGS, ALCOHOL

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- About 35 students and parents from area high schools learned Saturday how to organize drug- and alcohol-free graduation and prom parties in their communities.

The Cape Girardeau Community Traffic Safety Program sponsored a seminar Saturday to emphasize alternative ways to celebrate graduation and prom other than through the use of alcohol or drugs.

The seminar was held at the University Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Two university groups, Students Against Driving Drunk and the Public Relations Student Society of America, co-sponsored the event.

Donna Boardman, assistant coordinator of the Community Traffic Safety Program, said the seminar is a way to help students and their parents organize "Project Graduation" all-night chemical-free graduation or prom parties.

"Statistically, that's a high-risk time," Boardman said. "Some schools prefer to do it as an all-night graduation party and some prefer to do it as a prom party.

"Basically, what we're here to do is give some background and information on how to put on a chemical-free and alcohol-free graduation party."

She said the seminar's mission is two-fold: to help students and their parents understand the need for alternatives to celebrations that include alcohol or drugs and help them organize such an event successfully.

Project Graduation was first implemented in 1988 and has grown steadily since, Boardman said.

"Each year, there are more schools that are participating in Project Graduation and Project Prom," she said. "I know in schools where they've tried Project Graduation, the attendance has been greater each year."

She said the Community Traffic Safety Program stresses the need to provide "chemical-free" alternatives to graduation celebrations.

"For kids that want to go out and celebrate, the more we can keep them in a chemical-free environment, the better, because they're so excited on that one night that it's critical," Boardman said. "They're less likely to go out the next weekend."

According to statistics from the Missouri Department of Public Safety, an average of 22 Missourians, ages 16-24, are killed in alcohol-related vehicle accidents each May and June and another 864 are injured. The department says that most student fatalities during those months are related to prom or graduation celebrations.

Boardman said that as Project Graduation has become more popular in Missouri, she's seen students' attitudes about alcohol and drugs change.

"The tide is turning now with the public emphasis on chemical-free living," Boardman said. "Probably the hardest thing for the kids to have to encounter is getting their peer group to take part and understand why they should have a chemical-free night of celebration.

"But I think that's changing more and more. At least now, they're not afraid everyone's going to come down your throat if you say something about it."

Boardman said one of the difficulties many of the high schools have, particularly small ones, is raising sufficient money for activities and door prizes at the parties. She said the goal of having the parties is to provide enough activities so that students don't feel the need to celebrate by using drugs or alcohol.

Some schools, such as Perryville's public high school and St. Vincent's Catholic school, have combined resources to hold a single party for both schools.

Some of the St. Vincent's students who attended Saturday's seminar said the event includes many games and activities.

The students said that every student who attends the party receives some type of door prize, many valued at $50 or more. Items that have been donated in the past include televisions, video-cassette recorders and microwave ovens.

Boardman said that not all schools are able to raise funds sufficient to have such elaborate door prizes. But, she added, most can raise something, as shown by the two university groups who helped sponsor the seminar.

"They've gone out and secured 30-some odd door-prize gifts for today to show the kids it can be done," Boardman said. "A telephone answering service will be given away at the end of the day."

She said the Community Traffic Safety Program plans to conduct more seminars in the future to try to build on the Project Graduation program's success.

"It has grown rapidly in the last two or three years," she said. "A lot of schools across the state that have used Project Graduation and that number continues to grow."

At Saturday's seminar, Sgt. Ron Brown of the Missouri Highway Patrol presented facts about alcohol to the students, Boardman said.

"Sgt. Brown showed a film on alcohol and talked a lot about violence that's brought out when people use alcohol," she said.

But the seminar participants also received practical instruction on how to organize Project Graduation parties at their schools.

Statistics show that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among teens. Nearly 10,000 young adults die each year in automobile accidents, and drugs and alcohol contribute to nearly half of all teenage deaths.