I have some thoughts about the editorial calling for a mock crash event at Vashon High School (“Schools, community need to talk about drunk driving,” May 4.) While I can completely appreciate the intention and desire behind hosting such an event, it’s important to know that mock crashes fall under the category of scare tactics and are not best practice in drug and alcohol prevention.

While these types of events intuitively seem like the “right” thing to do, the research actually indicates that prevention efforts focused on creating fear just don’t work. This is especially true for teenagers. The Drug Free Action Alliance (DFAA) gives these evidence-based reasons why scare tactics aren’t effective: Youth tend dismiss these messages and look for exceptions, youth filter information differently than adults do based on their lack of life experience and brain development, the highest-risk youth are often more attracted to a behavior the riskier it seems and these events can be extremely triggering or traumatizing for a student who has lost a loved one, been in a serious car accident or who has a parent/loved one who abuses alcohol.

DFAA has some recommendations about effective prevention tactics. These include focusing on the behavior your want teens to do, rather than the one you don’t want them to do.

Club RISE at VHS and Spark! at McMurray are two student-led clubs working on promoting positive messages and planning drug free activities for students. Recently, Club RISE organized a letter-writing campaign from the fifth graders at Chautauqua all the seniors at VHS. Each VHS senior received a letter from a fifth grader encouraging them to have fun at prom and to make safe choices.

Driving under the influence is certainly issue that requires ongoing attention, and one that should be of utmost concern to everyone in this community, but let’s address it in a way that is proven to be effective and focuses upon our strengths.

— Anna Waldman