Teen's deadly message wins radio spot contest

"Think about this for one second, because it just takes one second to kill someone," is how Darren Stass begins the radio commercial that won the McHenry County ThinkFirst contest.

Stass, a freshman at Marian Central High School in Woodstock, responded to a flier inviting teens to create a radio commercial centered on a theme of auto safety. "To be killed in a car driving drunk is pointless," he said. Thinking about how other kids in the county have been killed or badly hurt in automobile accidents related to alcohol, he wanted to create a message that would catch the attention of his age group. "I also wanted to create something that could be easily remembered. If even one person is inspired not to drink and drive, then it was worth it," he said.

Statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that alcohol is the cause of 60 percent of all teen deaths in car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 12.8 percent of all fatal crashes are alcohol-related and that 40 percent of that number involves teens drinking alcohol. Prom is one of the frequently used excuses for teen drinking and driving.

According to Karen Calendo, director of the McHenry County Chapter of ThinkFirst, the radio commercial contest was initiated to increase public awareness of fatalities and Traumatic Brain Injury among McHenry County youth. "We seek to increase peer-to-peer conversations about the dangers of drinking and driving," she said.

ThinkFirst is funded through the McHenry County Mental Health Board, and the radio contest was sponsored by Brilliance Honda and STAR 105.5 radio. The goal of this program is to instill lifelong safety habits that minimize risks of sustaining brain, spinal cord, or other traumatic injuries. For more information about bringing the ThinkFirst message to your school or organization, call Karen Calendo at the McHenry County Mental Health Board at (815) 455-2828.