Police Forces Promote A Safe Graduation

Its graduation time on the South Shore as hundreds of young people in the area prepare to move-on to the next chapter of their lives.  This is also a time for parents and their children, graduating from high school, to be careful.  The RCMP's School Safety Resource Officer, Cst. Cheryl Ponee, says parents need to discreetly take charge.



RCMP ask parents to consider the following:

• Know what friends your children are hanging out with.
• Know where they will be in case you have to reach them.
• If they have a cell phone make sure they keep it with them.
• Discuss underage drinking and drug use.
• Talk about impaired driving, either by drugs or alcohol. Reassure your kids that they can call home if they are stuck in an unsafe situation where their driver has been drinking.
• Remind your child that pictures taken on their special night may be posted to the Internet or social media sites by those with camera or cell phones. If these pictures depict them using drugs or alcohol this could impact future job applications/opportunities.
• Consider creating a ‘code word’ that can be used in regular conversation if your teen needs to call you to get out of a difficult situation.

For more information on topics and issues affecting teens, visit www.deal.org.

DEAL.org is operated by the Youth Engagement Section of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and is part of the National Youth Services branch of the RCMP´s Crime Prevention Services.