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MADD Essay

Contest Winner

Essayist Ryan Prather of Newtown Middle School recently won a MADD award.

-Bee Photo, Evans

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Newtown Middle School student Ryan Prather, 11, decided to write an extra

credit essay for English class and ended up winning a US Savings Bond and an

award from the Fairfield County Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving

(MADD).

"My World. My Choice. No Alcohol," was the theme for the 1997 MADD

poster/essay contest that was designed to give students the chance to be

creative and raise awareness among their peers as to the dangers of drunk and

drugged driving.

When Ryan's English teacher told him his essay had won an award in his age

group, his reaction was "Heavens, no!"

Ryan and his parents, Kathy and Robert Prather, attended the MADD awards

presentation program Friday, March 7, at the Connecticut Police Training

Academy in Meriden, and Ryan was anticipating receiving a $25 savings bond for

his efforts.

"We've just gotten a new computer at home," said Ryan's mother, "and he's

enjoyed using the keyboard and writing his compositions on it."

When Ryan used to have to write his English essays out by hand, she said it

was "a slow process."

The Prather family moved to Newtown this past September from Paris, where Mr

Prather, who is an IBM employee, had been stationed for the past six years.

Mrs Prather said she thought that "being exposed to French culture made us

more aware of the dangers" of mixing alcohol with driving.

"Over there, it's just the other way around. Drinking is legal at age 16 but

you can't drive until you are 18," she said.

Ryan said he thought people in France handled their drinking differently in

that they seemed more responsible about it.

His essay, titled "Stay Away From Alcohol," appears below.

Many people die of drinking, whether driving or not. In the twentieth century,

more and more kids under 21 drink. Many die of drunk driving.

Young kids are easy targets because so many want to be grown up. When they see

their parents drink, that is an immediate sign of being grown up. Recently in

Connecticut, a young man and his friends were drinking while driving. They

crashed and everyone but the driver died. Now the young boy who was driving is

being prosecuted for manslaughter. This all happened because of alcohol. Do

you want this to happen to your child? I sure don't.

A big problem in our society is drugs. It all starts with alcohol, believe me.

People get drunk and take drugs without knowing because they are so drunk. So,

if you think about it, stop alcohol and you stop drugs.

Did you know that not only the drunk driver can die, but also the passengers

and the pedestrians? That means the driver can create even more casualties.

Most alcoholics start with stress and emotional problems. If you see any of

these signs, show sympathy and care for them because it could be a big help.

Beer companies are not helping at all with these alcohol problems. More brain

washing advertisements are coming on television. Beer companies, this is your

wake-up call. Stop putting beer into kids' ears.

Based on 1994 statistics, in 14 states about 45.5 percent of all deaths to an

automobile driver were due to drunk driving. That is almost half of all car

deaths. Take care of your loved ones. Make the streets alcohol free.

Parents get MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). So many people including

kids have to die to make alcohol factories rich. So stop the drinking and you

stop the killing.

By Ryan Rather