Attorney General Larry Long Encourages Local High School Students to be Street Smart 

PIERRE, S.D.- Life on the streets takes on a whole new meaning when you’re a firefighter-paramedic. The streets are where the crashes occur…where poor choices have played out…where teamwork is a must…where split seconds can save a life. It’s these kinds of life-changing experiences that create the backdrop for a dramatic, gripping program called Street Smart that will be presented at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 26, at Chamberlain High School. The program takes teens into the real-life drama experienced by firefighter-paramedics as they work to save the lives of youth who have made poor choices when it comes to underage drinking or illegal drug use. Attorney General Larry Long will be in attendance to introduce the Street Smart team to students. 

"One of the worst jobs a law enforcement officer can have is to knock on the door of a home and have to tell parents that their teen has been injured or killed in a car crash," explains Attorney General Long. "This program reminds students that, in fact, they’re not invincible, but they do have the power to make smart choices and keep themselves and even their friends safe." During the presentation, a team of two certified paramedics walks students through what happens at a trauma scene using the medical equipment they employ daily in their jobs. From taking a pulse, to loading the victim onto a backboard, to simulating an intravenous line being started, students can see and feel what it’s like to try to save a life. And what it’s like to be the victim…They learn the stories behind the crashes, they hear the choices that individuals were given, and they see irresponsible actions played out. Street Smart is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch and Chamberlain Wholesale Grocery Co. as part of the company’s commitment to fight underage drinking and drunk driving. This presentation is part of a weeklong Street Smart tour supported by Attorney General Long that Anheuser-Busch wholesalers in South Dakota are sponsoring April 23-27 at 11 high schools statewide. 

Street Smart engages students rather than lecturing or preaching to them. Using factual information, actual medical equipment and demonstrations involving students, the paramedics provide a real-life look at the consequences of irresponsible actions. In addition, students learn to recognize EMS procedures, which may reduce anxiety if they are ever involved in trauma experiences. This is beneficial not only to the patient, but to first responders, rescue and emergency room personnel. Street Smart is presented by members of Stay Alive From Education (S.A.F.E.®), a non-profit organization created by firefighter-paramedics dedicated to reducing teen injuries and fatalities. The team visits high schools and military bases across the country to help young people be "street smart" when it comes to decisions on drunk driving, underage drinking or illegal drug use. 

Since 1982, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than a half-billion dollars in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to promote responsible drinking and prevent all forms of alcohol abuse, including underage drinking and drunk driving. For more information on these efforts and the progress being made, visit www.beeresponsible.com. 

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