While prom season is filled with excitement, fashion, and maybe a hint of glamour as you dress for one of the most memorable times of your life, the event also inspires conversations that aren’t always easy to begin.

Balancing that focus on fun while also being responsible and honest is what continues to make the Safe Sober Prom Night campaign so popular.

For local high school students, Safe Sober Prom Night is a favorite part of spring. As the program heads into its 28th year, title sponsor Daggett Shuler, Attorneys at Law, and co-founder, David Daggett couldn’t be more proud of the fact Safe Sober Prom Night is the longest-running, privately funded initiative of its kind in the United States. A tradition in the Triad since 1991, Safe Sober Prom Night now visits 48 high schools in 10 counties every spring, in a little over six weeks. Schools targeted include all high schools in Forsyth County, as well as Stokes, Yadkin, Wilkes, Surry, Guilford, Alamance, Davie, Davidson, and Randolph counties. More than 500,000 students have already taken the group’s pledge to keep prom night alcohol- and drug-free.

“We take great pride that our entire team continues to support the mission of Safe Sober Prom Night after all these years,” explains David Daggett. “Safe Sober Prom Night continues to encourage an environment of positive peer pressure that is contagious, and helps ensure and enhance the future of our communities.”

Pledge Day, the most well-known aspect of Safe Sober Prom Night, has even become part of many schools’ Spirit Week leading up to prom. The program visits each school one day during lunch, where juniors and seniors are invited to sign a pledge promising to be safe and sober on prom night.  When they sign a pledge, they also receive a free T-shirt proclaiming their promise to their friends, family, and community. Other elements of the campaign include the T-shirt Design Contest—where each fall, students at the 48 high schools are invited to submit original designs, with the winner receiving a $500 scholarship and the student’s teacher/classroom a $500 grant.  Each year, school assemblies feature a nationally renowned speaker, who joins a rotating schedule of 10 of the participating high schools for a session of inspiration and encouragement. This past fall, Jeremy Bates (known as the Hope Dealer) was the featured speaker and received thundering approval from students and school faculty.

Statistically, the time between prom and graduation can be the most fragile and potentially dangerous time of a young person’s life, and the mission of Safe Sober Prom Night has always been to become an avenue that connects with students in a positive way.

Bringing a few key points to the conversation can make all the difference:

• Be prepared to deal with pressures. Saying “No” and walking away won’t always be easy, but having a game plan of what you’re going to say can help.
• Plan something unique and fun, and stick to your plan! Make the prom so upbeat that no one will want to leave to drink or do drugs. It’s all about the memories, so make sure yours are happy and comfortable for all your friends.
• Be a leader. Peer pressure can just as easily work positively, and if you’re having so much fun staying sober, others will take notice.

“Being in every single one of our schools every single year for more than 25 years has convinced me that our students are the best and brightest,” maintains Daggett. “What they need from us—all of us—is leadership, guidance, and direction.”

To learn more about this influential group, visit safesober.com, or contact Daggett Shuler Law Firm, located at 2140 Country Club Road in Winston-Salem, 336-724-1234.