Alcohol Awareness Month

April is designated Alcohol Awareness Month. The purpose is to raise awareness of the risks associated with alcohol use. Alcohol abuse can affect anyone – regardless of their age, sex, or nationality. Using alcohol increases the chances of someone being injured, engaging in sexual activity, being aggressive, and dying. This month educate your students about alcohol and its potential dangers, provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about drinking.

National Distracted Driving Awareness Month

Every year, nearly 500,000 Americans are injured and 6,000 more are killed as a result of distracted drivers who lose control of their vehicles while texting, talking on cell phones, eating, programming their radios or engaging in other activities that distract from the task at hand. According to the National Safety Council, a staggering 81 percent of people ages 18 to 49 admit that they talk on a cell phone while driving. Clearly, distracted driving is a growing danger to highway safety.

The latest research on this phenomenon provides us with shocking news. One study suggests that driving while distracted isn’t really very different from driving while intoxicated! Another study showed that drivers who talk on cell phones (even those with hands-free options) are just as hindered by slower reaction and braking times as drivers with a 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration level. The National Safety Council offers yet another amazing fact: merely listening to a cell phone conversation creates a 37 percent drop in spatial awareness, which correlates directly with the kind of mental distractions that cause accidents. While these findings are true for drivers of all ages, they are especially worrisome for young drivers who lack experience behind the wheel of a car.

National STDs Education and Awareness Month

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that one in four females between the ages of 14 and 19 are infected with at least one STD.  Another study revealed that half of all new STD cases occur among 15-24 year olds.  Clearly, educating young people is the key to preventing STDs—many of which are incurable.  Knowledge is power and, in the case of STDs, clearly-presented information makes a compelling case for being sexually responsible now and in the future.  National STD Education and Awareness Month is a don’t miss opportunity to offer students healthful and up-to-date information that can keep them disease-free.

Stress Awareness Month

Stress Awareness Month is a national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress—a pervasive presence in most people’s lives. We may live with stress, but there are successful coping strategies which can help us steer clear of emotional turmoil and the subsequent physical impact that constant stressors can have on an individual. For students of all grades, it’s important to highlight the fact that everyone experiences turbulent emotions from time-to-time. The key is to recognize what stressors are, how they affect our bodies and learn healthy strategies for coping. Today’s youth are keenly aware of the pressures of stress; this special month offers a chance to learn how to manage and avoid it.