Hamden High School Students Promote Positive Choices

Members of Hamden High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club have been busy assisting the Hamden Youth Advisory Council (HYAC) in their “Positive Choices” Campaign to prevent underage drinking.

HYAC encourages youth voice and youth participation, while SADD has been instrumental in conveying youth to youth messages about the dangers of underage drinking and drug use.

With support from HYAC and other agencies, SADD students have led “Choice for Me, Drug Free” Fairs for fourth graders at nine Hamden elementary schools to educate students about underage drinking, smoking, drug use, peer-pressure, and self-esteem. 

Their presentations demonstrate resistance skills and promote positive choices and healthy decisions, which are evident in their recently produced short film. Written, directed and performed by SADD members, the film will be viewed at the fairs in the months ahead. 

Additionally, during the “Choice for Me, Drug Free” interactive presentations for the older students, a puppet show is presented for second graders.

SADD members “choose” to make a difference through their many events and projects, including producing “Choose Hugs, Not Drugs” t-shirts to raise funds while raising awareness and a “Freshman Survival Guide” to be distributed to students during the "Transition to High School" presentation in June at the Hamden Middle School.

To promote “Positive Choices” during prom and graduation season, “tuxedo” cards to deter under-age drinking are distributed to local formal shops and florists to place into tuxedo pockets and corsage boxes.

In an effort to reduce drunk-driving fatalities, SADD members are organizing a display of a crashed car to be placed beneath their  “Think, Before It’s Over in a Blink” banner on the grounds of Hamden High School. 

For more information about HYAC’s “Positive Choices” Campaign, contact Beth Chiarillo, Town of Hamden Youth Services Bureau, at (203) 777-2610 ext. 137.

For more information about Hamden’s SADD group or to purchase “Choose Hugs, Not Drugs” t-shirts, contact Jen Kendall, Hamden High School SADD club advisor, at (203) 592-5917.