For over 20 years, London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) trauma program has been making an impact on the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of teenagers to reduce drinking/drugging and driving through its Impact program. Impact aims to heighten teen awareness of the potential consequences of high-risk behaviour. Over the past year, LHSC’s injury prevention team conducted focus groups with over 200 grade 10 and 11 students at 10 London and surrounding area secondary schools. “We wanted a fresh understanding of all the issues affecting teenagers and driving in order to educate them about the consequences of high-risk behaviour in a way that is relevant and meaningful to them,” says Jane Harrington, injury prevention specialist, LHSC. The focus groups at secondary schools revealed that 55 percent of high school students surveyed drank alcohol in the past year, 22 per cent had used cannabis in the last year, 14 per cent had used opioid pain relievers in the last year and 8.7 per cent had smoked cigarettes. Acting upon student feedback, LHSC’s trauma program partnered with Josh Field Support Network, a non-profit, family based organization, with the mission of raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.
