23-04-2025
Teen Maze Program shows students consequences of dangerous actions
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The Savannah Impact Program (S.I.P.) set up interactive scenes to show teens that their real-world decisions have real-life consequences Wednesday.
S.I.P's Club 100 degrees gave students fake pills and water that was meant to represent alcohol, to show them how saying yes to drugs and alcohol can result in a life changing event.
Savannah's Police Department, fire department and emergency services walked students through the impacts of drunk driving, driving without a seatbelt and distracted driving.
Students started at a car crash and then moved to a hospital scene where Memorial Hospital workers told students what can happen to their body in a car accident.
From there, they were guided to a funeral scene. A local funeral home set up an open casket so students could feel the weight of what can happen if they make the decision to get behind the wheel.
'When they went to the funeral scene and saw that it was a person actually laying in the coffin, they realized that this could be me,' Savannah Impact Program Director LaToyia Daniels said. 'Even some of them engaged in it was like, I don't want to die.'
Lastly, they moved onto the process of getting booked into a jail. Students talked to an attorney about the legal weight of underage drinking and driving under the influence.
Each student also took a mock mugshot to complete the scene.
This is the first year S.I.P put on the event, and they told WSAV they hope to grow the program in the future.
'Hopefully we could do this again. We're planning on doing it again and having way more schools come through and way more teens,' Savannah Chief of Police Lenney Gunther said.
S.I.P also offers programs and events for students and families who are looking for mentorship or assistance re-entering society.
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