On average, 2 out of 3 people in the U.S. will be in a drunk driving accident in their lifetime. Candace Lightner has helped decrease drunk driving by more than half by starting MADD Mothers Against Drunk Driving. One person (you) can make a difference too but each one of us has to make a decision to challenge those things that contribute to the problem. Ask yourself these questions-

  • Do you support drunk driving by not doing anything to stop it?
  • Does your organization do fund raising that encourages people to drink?
  • Does your business have events and gatherings where alcohol is a large part of the event?
  • Do you have parties at your home or other places where drinking is a norm and people drive home afterwards?
  • Do you attend events and drive home after drinking more than you should to be a safe driver?

What if we made a personal commitment to have people agree ahead of time to turn over their keys if they are going to drink at our event or home and not give them back until they take a breathalyzer to ensure they are under the legal limit to drive or are willing to accept a safe ride home?

What if we actually cared enough to call the police on people we know are driving under the influence and putting themselves and others at risk?

What if we invested in providing sober housing for people who are stuck in addiction, and made sure they had mental health care and support services instead of housing them in jails and prisons?

What if we offered young people better examples and other options to cope with life’s stressors rather than using substances to cover up uncomfortable feelings?

What if we offered them Help Opportunity Praise and Encouragement (HOPE) of being able to have a good life rather than not hiring them, refusing to rent to them, treating them poorly and passing the buck for it to be someone else’s problem?

Jason Breitenfeld, was one of my interns at the Job Center in Wausau Wisconsin years ago. Several years after he graduated from the human services program and the criminal justic program at NTC he was hit by a 4th time drunk driver on New Year’s Eve while he was driving a Safe Ride Home vehicle transporting those who had been responsible and gotten sober driver to ensure safety.  The man who hit him had just gotten out of prison for 3 previous drunk driving charges and he did not have insurance to cover the accident which will cost over a million dollars with the constant care Jason needs. He nearly died and will have a lifetime of pain and challenges from all of his injuries. He put it all in his book “The Dangers of Drinking and Driving-The Jason Breitenfeld Story” and he continues to inspire others an motivate them to get involved in preventing others from dying at the hands of a drunk driver.

Jason and I are both available to speak at your substance abuse recovery events for youth or adults and will share our books. I am a multi-book author and my books can be found on this link “Speak to Me God I’m Listening-365 Daily Meditations For Those Who Want to Hear God Answer Life’s Toughest Questions”

Linda Larson Schlitz is an international best selling author, speaker and life coach. She is the recipient of the prestigious Athena Awardd, the Red Cross Hero of the Year and was named Alignable’s 2020/2021 Business Person of the Year and has received commendations from the Governor of Wisconsin when he said Linda was “an example for the citizens of Wisconsin to follow” for her work with homeless veterans and those who were marginalized and had difficulty in the workplace.  Linda’s passion is to help others find their purpose and live their lives helping others to overcome challenges and address issues with addiction and mental illness.