5-4-17 prom and graduation season-traffic safety

With prom and graduation season right around the corner Drug Free Communities of Fond du Lac County is encouraging parents to talk with their kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. Melanie Foust is a Clinical Substance Abuse counselor.   Foust says it’s a time when the spotlight turns to celebrations that can lead to underage drinking.  Foust says social hosting is also a concern.  Last fall an appeals court struck down the county’s social host ordinance.   The appeals court ruled the ordinance is stricter than  state law, which bars adults from hosting underagers in bars and liquor stores but not private residences.  “It was unfortunate, however we’re going to continue trying to get that placed back into an ordinance,”  Foust told WFDL news.  “…to keep the kids from drinking underage,  but also keeping it a safe place for other people,  because if kids bring their alcohol over there the parents have right to tell them no.”   More than one-third of youth killed in alcohol related traffic crashes occur during the months of April, May and June, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety administration.