ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Make Good Decisions educates teens and young adults on the Indiana Lifeline Law, dangers of underage drinking, drugs, destructive behaviors.
INDIANA LIFELINE LAW
Indiana’s Lifeline Law provides legal amnesty from prosecution for underage drinking, and many related drinking offenses, for a person who calls or texts, or for persons assisting, to report a medical emergency, sexual assault or other crime.
TEXT-to-911
Indiana Youth Services Association’s Make Good Decisions Initiative and Senator Jim Merritt, author of Indiana’s Lifeline Law, have partnered with Indiana’s Text-to-911 services to increase public awareness about the ability to TEXT-to-911 in an emergency. The purpose of the partnership is to encourage young people to contact 911 for help when they find themselves or a friend in an emergency, especially those situations that may involved alcohol or a sexual assault, or if they witness another crime.
A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN
The statewide public education campaign will focus on high school and college students with digital messages delivered on mobile devices (cell phones, tablets, iPads, etc) with videos and graphics that contain information about Indiana’s Lifeline Law, alcohol awareness and signs of alcohol poisoning, and to encourage young people to contact 911 – by phone call or text. The messages will show information about how Indiana’s Lifeline Law works.
SPEAKING ADVOCACY
The IYSA coordinates various speakers
- Every 44 hours a college-aged person dies from alcohol poisoning.
- Most teen-drinking deaths aren’t traffic related. They are from other alcohol infused accidents such as falls, homicides, suicides, and alcohol poisoning.
- 9% of the teen alcohol deaths are from simply drinking too much, too fast.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
KNOW THE SIGNS
It is impossible to accurately tell on the scene if someone is passed out or dying. Even doctors need medical equipment to fully assess. Any one of these signs or combination of these signs, and you need to call 911 immediately:
- Acting unusually confused
- Repetitively throwing up
- Breathing is different than normal
- Skin looks pale or bluish
- Loss of bodily functions
- Snoring unusually or loudly
- Passed Out (meaning you can’t wake the person up to an alert state)
THE MAKE GOOD DECISIONS 10-YEAR TIMELINE
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Myths vs. Facts About Underage Drinking
- What Families Can Do to Prevent Underage Drinking
- Parents You’re Not Done Yet, How to Talk to Your Kids About Drinking in College
- Alcohol Awareness
- Parent Guide