Soon, it will be the biggest night of the year for many high schoolers around the county; prom night. It is an evening filled with photos, food, fun and flashy dancing. Truly one for the yearbooks. 

But of course, with a tremendous occasion involving youngsters looking to have a good time, it always warrants the age-old sage advice in the simple phrase “be careful!” A reminder that might just save a life.

Whether it’s behind the wheel, at the dinner table, in the bathroom, or on the dance floor – a tiny amount of caution and care can mean the difference between the best time with close friends and one of the worst nights of your life. Those big outcomes are often determined our ‘little’ choices. So keep the prom in promise and make a pact with yourself and the people around you to follow a path of intelligent, well-mannered behavior.

One of the best parts about prom is that everyone gets all dressed up in their colorful and wonderful attire. Those dresses and tuxedos for young people are meant for proms – not for funerals, hospital trips or rides in the back of police cars (all of which are possible bad endings at the hands of bad choices.)

And it cannot be overstated that the responsibility of making sure the evening goes smoothly isn’t all on the shoulders of our young students looking to have a night to remember. It falls on everyone in their lives to put safety at the forefront. Slow down around the bend, make sure there is zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol, leave a light on the front porch and keep your phone on just in case. Even with caution and care, some things happen and it falls on those around the students to be at the ready.

With that being said, here is a message directly to those who are planning on dancing the night away…make smart decisions for yourself and others around you, and enjoy your night to the fullest! Prom night is your night, so take that slow dance, drink that fruit punch and live under the colorful blinking lights for a few hours. It is all set up and waiting for you to enjoy.