Chaffee Jr/Sr High School receives statewide recognition for students� commitments to being Safe and Sober

This school year 85 percent of students at Chaffee Jr/Sr High School took a pledge to be Safe and Sober. Safe and Sober, a nonprofit organization, rewarded Chaffee Jr/Sr High School and its students this month for their outstanding participation in the program by giving the school a check for $500.

In the 2017-2018 school year, 468 middle and high schools with more than 160,000 students statewide registered for the free Safe and Sober program. This program is made available thanks to a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation and private donations. Each school received educational materials including pledge cards for each student, discussion guides and an engaging video designed to illustrate the dangers and consequences of underage drinking and drunk driving.

The Safe and Sober program is implemented in a unique way at each school. Chaffee Jr/Sr High School Counselor Meleia Sides uses the program as a guidance lesson at her school. �I love the program because it is free and is geared towards the students with useful information,� Sides said.

Chaffee Jr High hosted its program during the month of October in accordance with Red Ribbon Week. The high school hosted their program during the month of March which falls right before prom and graduation season.

Meleia hopes to further the program at Chaffee Jr/High School. �I would like to inform and/or include parents in the program or even use the Safe and Sober parent site to open discussion with parents,� Sides said. �It seems as if many parents are hesitant to bring up the topic of drugs and alcohol use and abuse with their children because it may �introduce� them to the topic or don't feel comfortable discussing such hard topics.�

Safe and Sober is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating Missouri high school students, middle school students and their parents on the dangers of underage drinking, drunk driving and drug use. For more information visit missourisafeandsober.com.