MADD Canada, SGI and SLGA urge students to keep grad celebrations safe
May 16 2024 - 10:37AM
Completing high school is a wonderful accomplishment. You’re got
your whole life ahead of you… just make sure you’re around to enjoy
it.
Grad celebrations are taking place over the next month across
Saskatchewan, and MADD Canada is teaming up with SGI and SLGA to
ask students to celebrate responsibly.
“Congratulations to all students who are finishing high school;
it’s an important milestone, and one worthy of celebration,” said
Dustin Duncan, Minister Responsible for SGI and SLGA. “Whether that
celebration is a banquet, a dance or a house party, please make
sure that the night ends with a safe ride home from a sober
driver.”
Road crashes are the number one cause of death among Canadian
youth, and alcohol, cannabis and/or drugs are involved in more than
half of those crashes. MADD Canada wants to teach young people
about the impact of impaired driving and equipping students with
the knowledge and motivation to prevent it.
This year, Saskatchewan students in Grades 7 – 12 across
Saskatchewan learned about devastating consequences of impaired
driving, thanks to MADD Canada’s School Program. Schools were given
the opportunity to choose one of three films to be presented to
students: Final Play, No Tomorrow or Over the Edge. Each video
presentation features a fictionalized story, followed by real-life
stories from victims of impaired driving.
The presentations engage young people in a realistic
conversation about what is truly at stake when someone drives
impaired and equips them with the knowledge and inspiration to
never drive impaired or ride with an impaired driver. The School
Program tour of Saskatchewan included 30 presentations sponsored by
SGI and 60 more sponsored by SLGA.
“As they move into the next phase of their lives, young people
will have to make choices about alcohol, drugs and driving,” said
MADD Canada National President Tanya Hansen Pratt. “MADD Canada’s
programming incorporates impactful personal stories of real-life
victims, to deliver a powerful and unforgettable message the
program helps young people understand that they have the power to
prevent impaired driving.”
To learn more about MADD Canada’s School Program and see clips
from the presentations, visit maddyouth.ca
About MADD CanadaMADD Canada (Mothers Against
Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is
committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims
of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100
communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support
services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired
driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn
more, visit www.madd.ca.
About SGISaskatchewan Government Insurance
(SGI) is the province’s self-sustaining auto insurance fund. SGI is
the traffic safety advocate for the province and the administrator
of the Traffic Safety Act. Visit: www.sgi.sk.ca.
About SLGA The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming
Authority (SLGA) is responsible for the control and regulation of
liquor, gaming and cannabis across the province. Visit:
www.slga.com.
For more information, please contact:Tanya
Hansen Pratt, MADD Canada National President, 705-623-3148 or
thansenpratt@madd.caDawn Regan, MADD Canada Chief Operating
Officer, 1-800-665-6233, ext. 223 or dregan@madd.caTyler McMurchy,
SGI Manager of Media Relations: 306-751-1837 or
tmcmurchy@sgi.sk.ca David Morris, SLGA Manager of
Communications: 306-787-1721
or dmorris@slga.com