Speaker To Talk About Teen Drinking, Driving

Springtime is typically the season of teenagers’ keg parties.

In an effort to prevent tragedy this spring, the Kootenai County Substance Abuse Council and Centennial Distributing teamed up to teach students the dangers of drinking and driving.

They’re bringing former helicopter ambulance nurse Barbara Babb to local high schools this week to share her expertise on the subject. Her Thursday evening program will be open to the public, starting at 7 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene High School.

A former emergency flight nurse from St. Louis, Babb developed her program in 1985 after she was called to the scene of a drunken-driving accident involving two teenagers.Sponsored nationally by the Anheuser-Busch beer company, Babb has given her program at more than 1,000 high schools.