University of Wyoming says ‘never again’ to drunk driving deaths
The only silver lining that can come out of a tragedy is the commitment to make sure that others avoid that same fate. After the events of 9/11/2001, ‘never again’ was the attitude towards domestic terrorism. University of Wyoming said ‘never again’ to a different terror: drunk driving.
On September 16, 2001, eight members of the University of Wyoming cross-country team were killed when their SUV was hit by a drunk driver, also a student. No matter how large, colleges and universities always feel small when a member of the community is taken away. The entire campus came together and mourned.
But afterward, University of Wyoming declared that they would do whatever it takes to ensure that such a tragedy would never again occur. UW has aggressively promoted initiatives to combat underage drinking and drunk driving on their campus, to ensure that students fully know the consequences of each. They’ve partnered with the surrounding town of Laramie with a focus on alcohol issues, and joined 35 other colleges and universities in addressing dangerous binge drinking.
As a result, binge drinking at the university has fallen 12% over the past two years. More students report using designated drivers. However, both in Laramie and around the country, work remains to be done. Until we can finally say that tragedies like the one in Laramie will never again occur, we will continue our work.
Tags: 'never, again, deaths, Driving, Drunk, SAYS, University, Wyoming