Every 15 Minutes

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Michael was a typical teenager.  A senior in high school, he was bright and popular.  He was one of those kids who loved to smile.  You know, the kind of kid who brightens a room when they enter.  He had a girlfriend, a younger brother and loving family.  And although he had never been in any real trouble he was, well, a typical teenager.

One evening after a football game he sat in his car with two friends and kid brother.  One of the friends had scored some beer.  Michael didn’t have a drinking problem but he thought it “cool” to have a couple beers with his pals.  And his brother had promised never to tell the folks.  They had done this a few times before, no big deal.

That night, on their way home, Michael lost control of the car and hit a power pole.  Michael escaped with minor injuries but is little brother was killed instantly.

 Michael is now in his early 40’s and has lived nearly 25 years with the memory of that evening.  How could something so “innocent” result in so much sadness for himself and his family?  How could something so “cool” turn into something so ugly!

That night Michael’s life changed forever.  So did the lives of his Mom and Dad, their friends and relatives and, to some extent, the lives of every member of his close-knit community.

And this kind of story is repeated all over our country with alarming frequency!

EVERY 15 MINUTES is a dynamic, reality-based program that strips the innocence and coolness away from drinking and driving.  This two-day program focuses on high school juniors and seniors and challenges them to think about drinking, personal safety, driving habits and the responsibility of making mature decisions.  The program name was conceived from the statistic that every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies in an alcohol related traffic accident.  This program, first delivered to Los Alamitos High School students in the spring of 1999 will again be presented in June of this year. 

It’s important to note here that while the Youth Center acts as the Lead Agency for this program, it would be impossible to deliver without the enthusiastic collaboration of its program partners.  These partners include Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos Unified School District Prevention Coalition Committee, police departments of Los Alamitos and Seal Beach, Orange County Fire Authority, Los Alamitos Medical Center, Seal Beach Host Lions Club and volunteers and funding agencies too numerous to name here.

The program begins as a normal day with kids arriving at school.  But when classes start, things begin to change.

To signify the death of fellow students in alcohol related accidents, an adult volunteer in the role of the Grim Reaper removes participating students (known as the Living Dead) from class every 15 minutes.  A uniformed police officer immediately enters the room to read an obituary written by the parents of that child and a squad car is dispatched to their home or place of business notify them of the tragedy.  To indicate their “loss”, the Living Dead do not talk, eat or anyway interact with fellow students until the end of the program.

As students are released for lunch, a simulated yet extremely realistic traffic accident is staged on campus.  The driver of one car is slightly injured and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol; his companion is uninjured.  The driver of the second car is declared dead and taken from the scene by the coroner; his companion, who is severely injured, is removed from the car using the “Jaws of Life”, treated at the scene by paramedics and rushed to the hospital by ambulance. 

At the end of the school day adult volunteers escort all program participants off campus.  They go to the Youth Center where they hear guest speakers tell of personal, real-life consequences of drinking and driving.  They visit the police department where they witness booking and breath analysis.  They are driven to the county court where they meet with a judge for a discussion on trial procedures and legal consequences.  They walk to the county jail where they see and smell the realities of incarceration.  And they visit a mortuary where they experience the burden of selecting a casket for a loved one.  And finally they go to the morgue to witness the process of preparing a body for burial.

The students are housed overnight in a local hotel where they discuss the events of the day and write letters to their family about those experiences; at the same time their parents are writing to the students about their own feelings.  Finally, they assist in the development of presentations that will be delivered to the entire student body on the second day. 

The next day, continuing to maintain no contact with friends or family, the Living Dead are escorted back to school.  During the assembly several Living Dead participants read their letters aloud, as do several parents.  Representatives of the school and community share personal experiences relating to drinking and driving.  Finally, an audio/visual presentation of the previous days activities is shown and the entire student body is facilitated into acknowledging that irresponsible use of alcohol doesn’t hurt just those who drink but, too often, innocent victims, their families, friends and community.

Because of its unique delivery method, Every 15 Minutes has proven to be effective in communicating its message.  After two years from its initial delivery at Los Alamitos High School, students continue to talk about its impact on them. 

Every 15 Minutes has become a valuable tool in our on-going efforts to help kids grow into happy, productive adulthood.  If, through this program, we can help just one of them avoid a lifetime of grief like that experienced by Michael, then we’ve been successful! 

(Kids are everybody’s business.  The Youth Center is currently conducting its Community Support Campaign.  When asked, please give a pledge to help sustain effective youth programs.  For information about how you can help, call (562) 493-4043.)