DORCHESTER COUNTY - Juniors and Seniors at Cambridge-South Dorchester and North Dorchester High Schools attended assemblies on the dangers of impaired driving presented by county State’s Attorney Bill Jones on Dec. 14, 2017.

Mr. Jones shared the legal and financial costs associated with impaired driving, but also asked students to consider the emotional toll — for themselves, their families and friends, and other people who could be injured or killed if they chose to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

December was National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, designated to promote responsible decision-making and to encourage young people to live free of drugs and alcohol. In the United States, someone dies in an alcohol-related accident an average of every 50 minutes — accounting for more than 10,000 deaths in 2016. Mr. Jones also talked about the risks of driving under the influence of marijuana or prescription drugs, particularly opiates.

The events were sponsored by the Health Department’s School-Based Wellness Center (SBWC) program, which provides health and mental health services at both high schools as well as Mace’s Lane and North Dorchester Middle Schools. The first center opened in 1998 through a partnership between the Health Department, Dorchester County Public Schools, and the Local Management Board.