‘Domino Effect’ illustrates underage drinking message

With prom and graduation right around the corner, the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office is battling underage drinking.

District Attorney Cam Morvant presented his “Domino Effect” program for the final time this school year last Wednesday. This time, seniors at Thibodaux High School were the audience.

The program deals with the issues of under age drinking and the consequences of what comes with it.

“For those people that don’t take this program seriously, I guarantee that I will probably see you in my courtroom. This is my attempt to get through to you before you destroy your lives,” Morvant told the seniors.

After noticing an increase in the number of teens cited for underage drinking in Lafourche Parish, Morvant started the program nearly three years ago.

“Most of the kids that come through my courtroom are between the ages of 16 and up. But what they don’t realize is that we don’t try them as juveniles in a matter of DUIs, we try them as adults and the consequences can be severe sometimes.” he said.

To reduce the number of broken teenage lives, the District Attorney’s Office decided to partner with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to host the program in hopes of showing the young students the consequences of driving while impaired.

Morvant said the theme of the program remains the same, “Choices and Consequences.”

“We all make choices and sometimes the consequences can be much more detrimental than the choice we made. How simple is it to give your keys to someone that has not been drinking,” Morvant said.

In a brief speech, the district attorney expressed his concerns with underage drinking and the penalties students could face if caught driving while under the influence. “The consequence may not lead to the student being in a wreck or the loss of life, but they could face the loss of their driving privileges,” Morvant noted.

The district attorney explained that the dominos that stood on the stage represented students’ friends, family and people that they could come in contact with. He said the only way to keep the dominos from falling is to make the right choices n one wrong choice could send the dominos tumbling down.

Morvant’s message appeared to have hit its mark. After the program, several students admitted to having made bad choices in the past. Most agreed they have learned from their mistakes.

Twelfth-grader Lyle Cortez said he had to learn that drinking and driving affected the people around him, too.

In agreement, classmate Philip Percle said, “Drinking and driving is not cool. On the roadways you put a lot of people in danger. You don’t want to lose your life and you don’t want someone else to lose theirs either.”

Dodging major DUI penalties, both boys have experienced the consequences of drinking and driving. Fortunately for both boys, no one was hurt.

Senior Achsah Chiasson said she believes the effects of alcohol are harder on females. “They said girls have to always make sure that they make the right decisions when it comes to drinking, whether they choose to get behind the wheels of a car or just hang out at a party.

“When girls are impaired, they stand of chance of people taking advantage of them. That’s why I choose not to drink. I can’t do everything someone else does I have to be my own person,” she explained.

Although the program was limited to seniors only, at least one underclasswoman weighed in on the topic of drinking and driving.

“Sometimes you get put into a position where you have to make the decision to follow the crowd or be your own person,” said sophomore Gina Usea. “I feel that the older kids are more experienced and it would be easier for them to take advantage of a person like me because I’m not experienced. That’s why I choose to follow my first mind and stay away from drinking.”

And that’s a promise Morvant is counting on.

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