AUBURN - The message of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) is a simple and straightforward one - drinking and driving under any circumstances is simply not acceptable and there are serious consequences.

On Monday evening, members of Auburn High School's SADD program were joined by members of the Auburn and Owasco fire departments as well as officers from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, New York State Police and Auburn Police Department for a dramatic re-enactment of the stark horrors of drinking and driving.

Erin Shurant, a school councilor and SADD advisor, said these re-enactments have happened for at least the six years she has worked there. The presentations are a national effort by SADD.

“The program is based around after the prom,” Shurant said. “And the kids have been drinking. The idea is to remind everyone how easily this can happen to anyone and that no one should be drinking and driving.”

With cars from Eliminator Auto and a group of eight SADD students, a scene was created in the school parking lot, showing the moment after two cars have collided.

From shattered glass, to injured bodies, the scene tries to present an accident in all its grim reality. Students, such as Shannon O'Grady, have been long-time members of SADD and were more than happy to take part.

“I'm against drinking and driving no matter what,” O'Grady said. “It is something that happens to a lot of people and especially this year, there have already been a few accidents you hear about and I think it is important to show what it is all about.”

Adding reality to the scene were all the emergency and law enforcement personnel.

Travis Poole, Owasco Fire Department assistant chief, said he has participated for the last four years.

Firemen at the scene went through their entire procedure for responding to an accident, from cutting passengers out of the cars to administering first aid and getting the injured into ambulances.

“I think this helps people really feel the effect of something like this,” Poole said. “I think it is effective and shows what an accident is like and I think it helps people take it seriously.”

After the accident scene was finished, the injured were rushed to a triage scene, showing what happens in the emergency room and finally to an arraignment where the drunk driver is charged for their crime.

Katie Hoff, 17, is another SADD student who has participated in presentations over the past several years.

With warmer weather and proms fast approaching, she said the re-enactments are important.

“We're not invincible,” Hoff said. “This is really serious and it is something that can happen to anyone. I think that is the most important message people can get from this. I think this really shows what an accident is all about and that people need to take drinking and driving seriously.”

That's a message Shurant echoed to all in attendance, teens and adults.

“This is a good reminder,” Shurant said. “When you drink and drive you not only take your own life in your hands, but you take the life of others on the road. It is a simple message, you drink, you drive, you are going to die.”