CRESWELL LANE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPUTIES PARTICIPATE IN THE EVERY 15 MINUTES PROGRAM AT CRESWELL HIGH ONE YEAR AGO. MARCH 14, 2018. Chronicle archives/Christopher Palanuk
Lane County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) was recognized on March 5 as the 2018 Oregon Group Advocate of the Year by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in connection with the LCSO’s efforts in decreasing drunk driving related crashes and fatalities through a program called Every 15 Minutes.
Creswell School District is a participant in the program, and students at the school say its program has profound effects. It is a two-day underage drinking and driving prevention program which challenges teens to think before drinking and operating a vehicle, or getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.
The program consists of a staged car crash where the role players are students from the participating school, an overnight retreat for participating students, and a community assembly where guest speakers and parents are invited to share how their lives have been impacted by drunk driving.
LCSO has hosted the Every 15 Minutes program 13 times over the last nine years in Lane County high schools in effort to provide an impactful experience that will help students make the right choice when confronted with decisions regarding drinking and driving.