A mock road accident and visit to hospital are part of an education day for senior high school students at Young on Thursday and Friday, August 18 and 19 on the risks of driving while affected by drugs and/or alcohol.
The community preventative health activity is titled “I’m So Sorry” to draw upon the words frequently heard after road trauma.
Event initiator, Young General Practitioner Dr Tom Douch, said in 2015, there were 320 fatalities on NSW roads.
Of these, 210 involved males, with 42 aged between 16 to 24.
“About 20 per cent of fatal accidents involve drivers who are under the influence of one type of drug or another,” Dr Douch said.
Dr Douch said young drivers affected by drugs and/or alcohol driving in country NSW have a higher risk of an accident involving death to a passenger in their car.
Local Health Advisory Committee (LHAC) Chair Heather Ritchie supports the initiative.
“The aim of the exercise is to support young people to learn about and become responsible for their own health and wellbeing,” Heather said.
The scenario will involve Year 11 and 12 students interacting with emergency and medical services at a mock road accident then at Young Hospital Emergency Department.
“The students will hear from doctors, nurses, allied health staff, paramedics and support teams on the harsh reality of poor choices,” Dr Douch said.
Students will take part in a variety of clinical actions including resuscitation and hear personal stories of how trauma has changed people’s lives.
“The exercise seeks to provide realism to provoke sensible discussion. It will involve graphic and realistic scenes and emotionally confronting episodes,” he said.
The event has been organised by Murrumbidgee Local Health District in partnership with local NSW Police, Fire Rescue NSW, Ambulance NSW, NSW Rural Fire Service South West Slopes Zone, Hennessy Catholic College, Young High School, Young LHAC, Young Services and Citizens Club, Young PCYC, Hilltops Council, Australian Army Cadets (Young), Gordon Garling Moffitt Lawyers, Bills Buses, Neon Multimedia and Young Theatre Company.
