Local teen wins alcohol awareness contest

“You want to cruise? Then dump the booze!”
Those were the winning words penned by Tara Hahkala, an 18-year-old student at Fort Frances High School, who was one of eight provincial winners of the “Tell it Real” alcohol awareness contest.
“I think it is really good,” Hahkala said yesterday. “I didn’t think [my entry] would make it that far. With all the entries from around the province, I thought no way.”
“I didn’t even know she had entered the contest. She did it independently, not on behalf of the school or Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving,” noted Fort High principal Terry Ellwood.
“It was quite an accomplishment for her,” he added. “She is the president of [the local] OSAID [chapter], and has done some very creative and wonderful things around the school to raise awareness.”
“I just think that people who die because of someone else’s drinking and driving is a waste,” said Hahkala. “I don’t think it is right.
“There are so many things that people die from that we don’t have any control over [but] drinking and driving is something we can do something about,” she stressed.
“Tell it Real” was organized and sponsored by the Alcohol and Drug Association of Ontario. Nearly 90 radio station across Ontario, including CFOB here, chose to participate in the promotion by airing public service announcements and handing out entry ballots.
High school students had the choice to write–in 12 words or less–how they would respond to the following situations:
•“What do you say when your friends begin drinking alcohol in your car while you are driving?” or
•“What do you say when you are supposed to drive and your party friends insist you have a drink of alcohol for the road?”
Hahkala responded to the first question.
“She has a sincere interest in raising awareness of impaired driving for the students,” said. Ellwood.
Hahkala will be at the high school tomorrow morning to receive a plaque of recognition and a cheque. And her voice clip will be used in one of two 30-second PSAs to be sent out to radio stations across Ontario.
The other seven winners range in age from 15-18 and are all from southern Ontario.
“We received about 2,000 entries this year,” said Mary Napper, co-ordinator for the “High on Life” program run by the ADRAO.
“We go through all of those entries and pick two or three from each school, then we keep narrowing down from there,” she noted. “Once it has been narrowed down to about 30-40 entries, we sift through them and pick the final eight winners from that.”
Napper said this particular program is in its second successful year and hopes it will continue in the future.
“We are finding it successful. The program receives a lot of support from the schools,” she remarked. “Often teachers will take time out of their English classes and write or talk about it.”
“It’s important for teens to talk to teens, and to parents, about drinking and driving,” echoed ADRAO executive director Jeff Wilbee. “They have a lot to say about it, and deserve the chance to express their feelings.
“We are giving them that chance,” he added.
“When you offer a prize, it gets the attention of high school students. We had a lot of entries,” said Hahkala. “Anything that is very publicized is bound to reach someone.”