The RCMP congratulates graduates and encourages safe graduations

OTTAWA, ON — June 13, 2007 — It’s grad season.  The RCMP cares about young people and wants to encourage everyone to have a great time and celebrate safely.

“Common sense applies during graduation season as always,” says Inspector Rick Shaw, Officer in Charge of the RCMP National Youth Services. “We know that graduation parties are exciting for youth who want to celebrate this special rite of passage with friends. However, we encourage all young people to be cautious of engaging in excessive partying that could endanger them, their friends, or other community members.”

Graduations are a very worrisome time for parents, law enforcement and school administrators who are concerned for the safety and security of students and the community.  

It’s possible to have fun and stay safe.  The deal.org website, a site created by youth for youth, has a few quick prom night tips in its webzine article called A Night to Remember. 

Tips for youth include:

• Don’t risk losing your parents’ trust by lying to them.
• Be honest with your parents about your plans for the evening and make sure to include enough details that they can take your word about staying safe.
•  Offer to call them throughout the night in exchange for a later curfew
• Make sure they’ve met the friends you plan on going with.
• Your parents don’t want to ruin your prom, but they want to make sure you’re safe.
• A bad prom night is one you can’t remember or one you wish you could forget.
• Beneath the anticipated glamour of prom, there’s a lot of pressure to have sex and get drunk.
• However, you alone are responsible for the choices you make about sex and alcohol, and prom night should be no exception.
• Plan safe and reliable transportation. Either take taxis or ensure there are responsible designated drivers who will not drink.

Things to consider for parents:

• Setting a good example for youth is critical and teaching young people about responsible use of alcohol is an important lesson to teach.
• Get to know your child’s friends and let them get to know you so that a mutual level of trust can be developed.
• Be open about the effects of alcohol use and what impact it can have on their life. 

“Supporting youth is one of the RCMP’s five strategic priorities,” says Inspector Shaw. “One of the primary ways that the RCMP does that is through the hundreds of RCMP Youth Officers who are present in schools speaking to young people about issues that affect them. Safe graduations is one of the issues at the forefront at this time of year.”

A number of other reference documents are available to both parents and their children through www.deal.org – a youth engagement program within the RCMP created as part of the Force’s commitment to youth. Fact sheets on impaired driving and binge drinking can also be found on the deal.org website.  

Youth has been identified as an RCMP strategic priority since 1999. The RCMP has developed a number of proactive measures to support young people in becoming mature, law-abiding citizens and to keep them from committing crimes or becoming victims of crime. The National Youth Officer Program and deal.org are just two of these initiatives.

Information:
RCMP Media Relations
613-993-2999