Police presentation for 6th grade class
Cottonwood Police officers Terry Cochran and Jason Rambo visited Mrs. Sonnen’s 6th grade health class at Prairie Elementary. They were invited to talk about the effects of alcohol and the trouble that follows with addiction. Officer Rambo gave a great presentation that included two vivid props. He held up a cucumber and ask the kids to tell him how they eat one. Some replied in a salad, raw/sliced/in sour cream and even grilled. One stated that they love pickles…which are cucumbers!  Officer Rambo then showed them a jar of pickles and had the kids tell him how they could change a cucumber into a pickle. Boy! Some of the kids are experts on canning pickles. He explained that once the cucumber was changed into a pickle it can never turn back into a cucumber. It has been changed forever. The students understood that alcohol will forever change you and your body. Drinking before the age of 21 is risky behavior.
Rambo went over 15 facts that the CDC just complied this April. A few scary facts are: Over 88,000 deaths a year are alcohol related. 33 people each day die from issues related to alcohol. Females are likely to be more violent than males due to alcohol consumption. 39 million people get treated every year of that number 2.5 million are due to alcohol problems. This cost the taxpayers 223.5 billion dollars each year. If you start drinking before the age of 21 you are 4 times more likely to become addicted. 696,000 young adults ages 18-24 are assaulted each year due to alcohol related incidences.
Officer Terry Cochran talked about the issues we have on the prairie with our youth and alcohol. He discussed what it means to get a MIP and a MIC. After a heart to heart talk about peer pressure and the devastating toll a car accident involving alcohol is on a family and the community he was ready to have a bit of fun with the class. One of the students volunteered to be part of a demonstration. Using drunk googles and a headset the student was ready to show off his coordination skills. He tried his best to walk a straight line, catch a ball and to hold his foot 6 inches off the ground. Despite all the laughter the students learned that he really was impaired and being “under the influence” would not be a safe driver. Terry then covered what happens to a person who has been arrested and the consequences that can follow including fines, jail time and loss of a driver license.
The class and Mrs. Sonnen would like to thank Jason Rambo and Terry Cochran for sharing their expertise on this important issue. As parents and community members it is vital that we talk with our kids and keep the lines of communication open. Being proactive rather than reactive is what will benefit our kids and community.

Police Chief Terry Cochran with Ben Gehring, who discovers the effects of alcohol on your coordination through the use of special “drunk goggles” Photo by Colleen Sonnen.

Cottonwood, Idaho 83522
 

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