SPRINGFIELD – Prom season has arrived, and for doctors in emergency rooms all across the country, including at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, that means trauma season.
“It’s a high-risk time for young people when we see alcohol-rated injuries and fatalities. Prom season is every student’s dream and many a parent’s nightmare,” said Dr. Ronald Gross, chief, Trauma, Acute Care Surgery, and Surgery Critical Care, Baystate Medical Center.
“It’s no secret that traffic deaths increase among teens each year during prom weekend, most the result of alcohol or drug abuse, which can also lead to date rape,” he said.
The statistics speak for themselves. One-third of all alcohol-related traffic fatalities involving teens each year occur during April, May and June, considered to be prom season. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics cite as many as 676 students under the age of 21 killed in alcohol-related traffic crashes during prom and graduation season.
Both parents and students share in the responsibility of making sure prom night doesn’t turn deadly – that means for both the student and his or her date, other passengers in the car, and innocent drivers involved in the crash, noted Dr. Gross.
“With a little guidance from their most important role models – parents – kids can be helped to set the stage for a safe and memorable prom, or as I prefer to call them, ‘trauma free,’” said Gross
The Baystate Medical Center trauma chief suggested setting time aside to talk with your teen prom-goer in advance of prom night.
“Tell them not to be afraid to call you if they need help or advice, or even to be picked up unexpectedly on prom night,” said Gross.
Among the information you should ask your son or daughter for during “the talk” include:
· Their complete itinerary for the night
· Who they will be with
· Phone numbers where you can contact them.
“Tell them it’s no secret that you know some teens on prom night feel pressured by their friends to drink, smoke, use drugs, or have sex. And that it is perfectly okay for them to say no,” said Gross.
“Don’t assume that they really do have all the facts. It doesn’t hurt to remind your child not to drink and drive, to always wear a safety belt, and to not get into a car with a driver who has been drinking,” he said.
The Baystate trauma surgeon urges parents to explain to their children how drinking is responsible for over 4,500 deaths among young people each year, and that alcohol and drugs impair judgment, especially when it comes to sex, which could result in further problems, such as STDs and unintended pregnancy.
Other options to teens driving themselves to the prom?
“Many teens today share the cost of a limo and leave the driving to a professional,” said Gross.
Additional tips for prom-goers from Gross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) include:
· Make an agreement with friends to keep check on each other during the evening. Be sure someone you trust is available for you to call if your plans change or you need help.
· Dating abuse can be a real issue anytime, even on prom night. The abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical or sexual. Respect yourself and tell family or call 911 if you or someone you know is being abused.
· If you plan to go to an after-prom party, be sure it is adult-supervised and has an observed start and end time. Go with a “buddy” to ensure each other’s safety.
As the only Level 1 Trauma Center in western Massachusetts, Baystate Medical Center treats the region’s most critically injured patients.
For more information on Baystate Medical Center, visit baystatehealth.org/bmc.
