Montana – April 28, 2026 — DrugEducators.org, a national nonprofit focused on prevention-based drug education, successfully trained driver education instructors across the state of Montana today on a newly developed drug and alcohol curriculum designed to help students make safer, life-saving decisions behind the wheel. This training took place in Montana and was built using Montana-specific data from state agencies.
At a time when young lives are being lost on roads across the United States due to impaired driving and lack of effective drug education, this initiative brings a clear and practical solution: give students the truth, and they can make better decisions.
Across the country, thousands of people die each year in crashes involving alcohol or drugs, many of them young drivers or passengers. These are not random events. In many cases, they are the result of a lack of understanding about what drugs actually are, what they do, and how they impair a person in real time.
The training introduced a structured, classroom-ready program focused on one core principle: when a person fully understands something, they are far more capable of making informed, responsible choices about it.
“When students are given clear, factual information about drugs, including what they are, what they do, and how they affect you, they are no longer guessing,” said Darren Tessitore, Founder of DrugEducators.org. “They can think for themselves. And when they can think clearly about it, they make better decisions. That’s how you prevent accidents. That’s how you save lives.”
LeAnn Haas, Instructional Coordinator for Traffic Education at the Montana Office of Public Instruction, emphasized the importance of tailoring the program to local students and real-world conditions.
“The 2026 Montana Traffic Education Conference, co-hosted by the Montana Traffic Education Association and the Montana Office of Public Instruction, brought together over 100 instructors to train on this new drug and alcohol curriculum,” said Haas. “We were fortunate to work with DrugEducators.org and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World to bring current data and relevant information to our instructors and their students. This program was developed with input from MTEA and OPI and is specifically designed for Montana, using local data from sources like the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Montana Highway Patrol, and the Montana Department of Transportation.”
She added, “When the information pertains directly to students and their communities, they are more engaged and more likely to take it seriously. That connection makes this training especially effective.”
The curriculum is designed to ensure students truly understand:
- What different drugs are and how they act in the body
- How alcohol and drugs impair judgment, coordination, and reaction time
- Why impaired driving leads to real-world consequences, including injury and death
- How to recognize risky situations and make safer choices
According to the curriculum data, while some progress has been made, dangerous behaviors persist. Approximately 1 in 5 students still report riding with a driver who has been drinking, highlighting the continued need for clear, effective education.
In addition to the core curriculum, DrugEducators.org has integrated materials from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World, bringing globally recognized, fact-based resources into the classroom.
“Every young person deserves clear, factual information before they face life-altering decisions behind the wheel,” said Jessica Hochman, Executive Director of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. “We have seen that when students are given real understanding, not scare tactics, they are far more equipped to make responsible, drug-free choices. By integrating factual drug education into driver safety training, this program helps protect lives, strengthen communities, and gives students the knowledge they need to think for themselves when it matters most.”
These materials strengthen the program by providing direct, easy-to-understand explanations of substances and their effects, along with engaging videos and student-friendly educational booklets. The result is a system that equips educators to give students real understanding, not just warnings.
This training is part of a broader national effort by DrugEducators.org to prevent drug-related harm before it starts. By focusing on understanding rather than assumption, the program empowers students to take responsibility for their choices and avoid becoming the negative outcome of drug use or impaired driving.
When students understand, they can choose. And those choices can save lives.
Call to Action
DrugEducators.org partners with schools, driver education programs, law enforcement agencies, and corporate organizations to build effective, real-world drug education programs tailored to each environment.
If your organization is looking to implement or strengthen drug education, DrugEducators.org can help you:
- Develop or enhance curriculum
- Train educators and staff
- Deliver in-class or on-site programs
- Provide proven educational materials and resources
- Build sustainable, long-term prevention strategies
Media Contact:
Carol Renna
DrugEducators.org
[email protected]