Creating A Cultural Shift Can Be Done But It Doesn’t Happen Overnight. Or Does It?

Story and Photos By Raoul Dennis

Distracted or aggressive driving may not be addictive the way smoking is. But they are both habits supported by cultural cues—-and they can both get you killed.

The difference is: smoking isn’t the coolest thing to do any more. County leaders are hoping they can put distracted driving, speeding and DUIs in the same “not cool” category.

There was a time when smoking was the coolest thing in the world. Back in the day, a fresh pack of Luckys or a pack of Kools got you in the door, on the screen, a better drink and a hotter date.

A long drag on a nice cigarette was what you did after a good meal or hot sex, along with a cup of coffee or a cold beer---and nothing you could do was more American.

In fact, for the greater part of the 20th century, American culture included smoking as a rite of passage, a definition of manhood and the epitome of the independent spirit of the American woman.

And in less than 20 years, smoking has been kicked to the curb of American culture like a cancer; largely because cigarettes became so thoroughly identified as the cause of cancer. According to the American Thoracic Society, between 1965 and 2011, adult prevalence of cigarette smoking fell from 51.9 to 21.6% among men and from 33.9 to 16.5% among women.

For many Americans, smoking has become a sad little habit indulged outside-the-building in less than a generation.

The lesson learned: it can be done. Shifts in how we think about parts of our culture can impact behavior patterns within our culture.

Sparked by the increasing numbers of deaths in unnecessary car accidents, County Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker has launched a campaign to change motorists’ thinking about driving.

The Driving It Home campaign aims at inspiring youth to take the lead in changing the way that young people approach driving. “It’s important that the young people claim this,” Anderson Walker says. “They have to change the culture.”

County Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker. PHOTO RAOUL DENNIS PRINCE GEORGE’S SUITE MAGAZINE

Anderson-Walker believes that it can be done and she’s not alone. Supported by County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, the full county council, the Prince George’s County Police and Prince George’s Fire/EMS leaders, the campaign launched Feb. 15 and was promoted at a Mar. 22 press conference.

The campaign has been introduced to seniors at Friendly, Oxon Hill, Duval and Potomac High Schools. It includes a competition that offers Beats system headphones to the school that best trends #DrivingItHome by May 7.

“We need to expand the campaign throughout the region,” Anderson-Walker said Apr. 4 after addressing nearly 400 students at Duval High School. The school was at the center of a recent crash Mar. 26 and marked an understanding within the Anderson-Walker Administration that #DrivingItHome efforts must expand beyond political districts and regional boundaries in order to be successful. The administration was taking the message to Crossland High School that day and on to Potomac High School April 5.

As of April 10, the campaign has been shared with over 2,500 students in the county. The reception has been favorable.

“They are listening,” said Gina Ford, Public Relations Specialist at Anderson-Walker’s office of the impact of the examples of crash scenes offered by Prince George’s County Fire Chief Benjamin M. Barksdale. Whenever Barksdale recalls the details of an incident, there is a hush over the room.

Nathaniel Laney, principal at Potomac High School, says the Driving It Home Campaign is critical for students at this time in life.

“At a young age we all think that we are superman or superwoman but the reality is that you have to take care of yourself. When you talk about driving it home – wearing a seatbelt, avoiding aggressive driving, avoiding drinking and driving. We need to reinforce that all of these things lead to accidents on the road and need to be avoided.”

When asked if he believed the culture can be changed, Laney cautiously keeps the faith.

“Yes, it can be done but let’s hope it’s not after the fact when crashes have happened,” he says.

Changing cultural habits and trends traditionally can take generations but in today’s society, such shifts may not require as much time. Social media has sped many trends to new heights of saturation within social circles.

The Anderson-Walker administration is reaching out to social icons within the county’s youth culture and national icons that have the ear of young people. With commitment, the campaign can lead to a change in behavior that will save lives.

“This can really take off,” Ford says. “It can go viral and lives can be saved.”

Why not. These days, it’s a lot cooler to change lanes than to light up.