Driving Under The Influence: A Rising Problem Among BC Youth

I was in class. Monday, early morning. I was tired and not really listening to the people around me. 

"I was so wasted this weekend," I heard from the seat beside me. Two boys were talking about their weekend. None of my business, I guess. I turned around and tuned out. 

This is a typical Monday conversation. The class uses usage as a way to seem cool. Always exaggerating the fun they had, but never thinking it's enough. I do not care. I know my opinion will never influence how they spend their nights. 

This Monday, however, was different. Just as I turned my head away, he spoke again. "I had to drive my buddy home; he was so high."

What?

Did I just hear that correctly?

I turned around and asked, " You drove him home while you were drunk?"

"No," he responded, "I drove him home while I was crossed. 40 mg." 

Nobody else seemed to care. A few “hahas” and a “let me know when you are on the road when you are driving, so I won't,” but no real action. Nothing being said to stop him. Nothing being changed. 

The worst part? I did not say anything either. 

The problem with driving under the influence is not necessarily the numbers. Less than 30% of drivers actively on substances get into an accident. If there weren't that many on the streets, it would not be a big issue. However, there are an astounding number of students getting behind the wheel anything but sober, and not thinking about the danger they could be causing with that one action. 

At my own school, at least 50 students have driven under the influence. If you put that into perspective, that means about 15 of them will injure themselves, or someone else, while making that decision. 

But how many young drivers are there in BC, making that same decision?

How many of them are sitting in classrooms on Monday morning, laughing about what happened the weekend before? How many friends are getting into cars with someone who has been drinking or using drugs because they do not want to be the person who “kills the vibe”? How many people hear these conversations and, like me, decide that it is none of their business?

Too many.

It is easy to think of impaired driving as an individual decision. Someone chooses to drink, someone chooses to use a substance, and someone chooses to get behind the wheel. But the consequences are never limited to the person making the decision. One person’s choice can affect passengers, pedestrians, other drivers, families, and entire communities.

But the problem is, nobody wants to be the person who says something. Nobody wants to be the snitch. Even when you know something is wrong, there is a fear of being laughed at and not accepted. Nobody wants to say anything because nobody wants to be excluded.

 I feel the same way myself.

When I heard my classmate talk about driving while under the influence, my sirens went off, I wanted to tell him it was wrong. However, I knew that if I said something he did not want to hear, I could quickly get pushed away. I was finally connecting with these friends. I was finally part of the community. I did not want to lose all I worked for, so I stayed silent. 

The statistics show why this silence matters. Impaired driving is a problem that can be reinforced by the people surrounding those choices. Whether it's someone choosing to ignore it, or it's someone else getting into a car instead of finding another way home, the message is the same: this is okay

That is what needs to change.

We cannot expect every young person to suddenly stop making dangerous decisions their frontal lobes are not even developed yet. But we can make it harder for those decisions to be normalized. We can make speaking up just as normal as staying quiet. We need to teach young people. Teach them that going along with what is normal is not always the right decision, and upsetting your friend in the moment does not make you a bad one. 

I regret not saying anything. I hope others regret it too. Because I know I could have made an influence, or maybe even saved a life. If I hear that he gets into an accident and kills someone, I will know that I could have done something. I did not speak up. If something happens, I will always wonder if I could have stopped it. That is why something needs to change.

Being a bystander is a choice. And if we want to change the culture around impaired driving, one thing needs to stop being acceptable: silence.