Florida SADD is dedicated to educating students, parents, and
others in the community concerning the problems of underage drinking, impaired driving, seatbelt usage, driver training, speeding, and red light running. Florida SADD emphasizes traffic safety because traffic crashes are the # 1 cause of death for teenagers in America.
The purpose of Florida SADD is to assist and encourage middle
and high school students to live safe, healthy, and substance-free lifestyles by creating chapters in their schools that support and promote positive decision-making. SADD promotes a
“No-Use” message – no alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances – through positive peer pressure, support, and activism.
SADD’s philosophy is: If the problem is mine, the solution also begins with me.
SADD’s success demonstrates that students everywhere are taking the lead in reducing deaths on the road. In 1997, in response to requests from SADD students themselves, SADD expanded its mission and name, and now chapters are called Students Against Destructive Decisions.
Originally, the mission of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) was to help young people say “No” to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us
that positive peer pressure, role models and other strategies can help them say “No” to more than drinking and driving. And that is why SADD has become a peer leadership organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, impaired and risky driving, and teen violence and suicide. SADD’s mission simply stated is:
To provide students with the best prevention tools possible to deal with the issues of underage drinking, other drug use, impaired driving and other destructive decisions.
The Florida SADD office provides statewide coordination and assistance to Florida’s 200+ SADD chapters and works in cooperation with many state agencies, local school districts, law enforcement offices, and othe r state and community based organizations. The collaboration and cooperation between the state and community based organizations enhances the “Triangle of Caring” which is comprised of school, home, and community.
Here in Leon County, we are proud to partner with Fasig & Brooks. We currently have SADD chapters at Chiles, Godby, and Florida A&M University Developmental Research School. Because of the
support of [ln::firm_name], we will bring in Renee Napier and Eric Smallridge to share their amazing story at each of these schools. When Eric was a young man, he made the tragic mistake of driving while impaired and killed Renee’s daughter, Meagan in a car crash. Through an amazing leap of forgiveness, Renee successfully had Eric’s prison sentence reduced and they began speaking in schools about their experience. For more information, go to the Meagan Napier webpage.
Their presentation is so powerful that they have been recognized on the national CBS Evening News and will soon appear on the Katie Couric show. Matthew West, a popular Christian performer, was so moved that he wrote a song about them called Forgiveness. Whenever they present, there is always a long line of people who stay afterwards just to thank them and to share their promise of never driving while impaired.
Florida SADD is funded by a grant. Fasig & Brooks is proud to partner with SADD to bring Renee and Eric to Leon County and empower our Leon teens with Renee and Eric’s presentation.
For more information on Florida SADD, please contact Danielle Branciforte at (850) 222-3232, FloridaSADD@gmail.com.
