According to the CDC, 29 people die every day due to drunk driving, that’s one person every 50 minutes. These numbers spike even more during the holidays, but one initiative in Cambria county is hoping to decrease these alcohol-related events.
RAMP stands for ‘ Responsible Alcohol Management Program.” This program trains and certifies any server or seller to safely serve alcohol to patrons. The Cambria County Drug and Alcohol Program partnered with The Learning Lamp with the aim to raise awareness of the dangers associated with alcohol use and to ensure that alcohol-related events are managed properly by providing free trainings to community members.
“It teaches us where to step in and stop service, What to do if someone’s had too much to drink and be a safety advocate for the community. We look for people that have had too much to drink, slurred speech, when to stop service which is when they order their next drink. How to be proactive, positive, professional in how we control the service of alcohol. If someone’s had too much to drink, what do we do? To protect the community and ourselves.”
MoneyGeek, a personal financing company, analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and have found that drunk driving-related deaths increase up to 118% on certain holidays.
“’Tis the season to be jolly, Are people going to consume alcohol and maybe more during the holiday season? Yes. So, I guess the learning curve here is if we’re going to consume alcohol then we as seller servers need to control it for safer environments so that patrons get home and people that are on the road don’t get hurt.”
The trainings usually teach up to 40 people at a time. If you would like to sign up you can contact Prevention Specialist Elizabeth ElBayly at 814-262-0732 ext. 287 or email eelbayly@thelearninglamp.org.