Department of Health and Human Service’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration remind you to celebrate safely this holiday season. We stand with all those who have known the tragic consequences of drugged or drunk driving, and we rededicate ourselves to preventing it this December and throughout the year. This holiday season, each of us has the power to prevent a tragedy and ensure that those we know and care about get to and from their celebrations. Speaking up about what is OK and what is not OK is a good first step—not just in relation to alcohol use but also other substances that can compromise our ability to make it home safely.

1. I urge all Americans to make responsible decisions and take appropriate measures to prevent impaired driving.
2. Alcohol-impaired driving crashes—which range from being under the influence of substances to distracted driving to speeding—increase throughout December as more people travel.
3. We distributed $1.5 billion to fight the opioid epidemic this fall.

We won’t stop until no mother has to experience this 100% preventable lossagain- but we need your compassion to get us closer. Be driven by a mother’s painand help prevent more victims of drunk and drugged driving. SAMHSA’s mission is to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes. Families, educators, health care providers, and community leaders are invited to promote responsible decision-making and encourage young people to live free of drugs and alcohol. Wherever victims and their loved ones are in their healing journey, this publication offers easy to follow guidance that may help them find comfort during the holiday season.

Why National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month is Important

It could be an intimate dinner at a friend’s house, perhaps a happy hour to celebrate a return to the office, or a gathering of high school friends home from college. In each instance, alcohol and other substances may not be necessarily 1 groups and substance abuse treatment substance abuse treatment at the center of the fun but are a common denominator. Besides blood and urine tests, the other most used method are Field Sobriety Tests, which are cognitive and balance tasks law enforcement uses to determine a person’s well-being.

December 2023 Featured Resources

Over 10,000 American lives are lost to drunk and drug-impaired driving each year, accounting for nearly a third of all traffic deaths. In 2019, some 11 percent of Americans drove under the influence, including a staggering 19.6 percent of people aged — and that number has only grown since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Far too many families are left getting that gut-wrenching phone call after an accident — their worlds changed forever. Far too many passengers and pedestrians see their lives destroyed by someone else’s bad decision, and far too many law enforcement officers put themselves at risk to keep impaired drivers off our roads.

A Proclamation on National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2021

During the holiday season, victims, family members, friends, and colleagues may experience life-changing traumas again through flashbacks, nightmares, and overwhelming sadness. If we practice prevention to keep ourselves and our communities safe, the holidays can be full of the joy we expect them to be. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and nonfatal injury among U.S. adolescents, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths and 300,000 nonfatal injuries each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This month, OVC highlights the following resources to help the field serve victims of impaired driving. As everyone takes precautions to be able to safely return to in-person events, more and more celebrations are being added to the calendar.

National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month related holidays

That’s 210 people in one week who didn’t make it home because either they or someone with whom they came in contact chose to use alcohol and then get behind the wheel. That same year, more than 10,000 people died from drunk driving crashes binge drinking: health effects signs and prevention alone. Drunk driving crashes increase throughout the month of December as more people travel and attend events where alcohol is served. President since Ronald Reagan has proclaimed December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.