The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that around 34 lives are lost each day in the U.S. due to drunk-driving accidents—that’s roughly one death every 42 minutes.

The Students Against Drunk Driving Club at the high school is working to raise awareness and promote safer choices. Founded this year by juniors Aviv Schwab-Jacobson and Macari Allyn, the club has 7-10 members who meet on weekends to plan initiatives. They have given presentations to parents and the Peer Leadership class, with support from teachers like Abby Dean.

Allyn was inspired to start the club after hearing stories from her mom, who grew up in a town where drunk driving was a serious issue. At first, Allyn didn’t think it was a major problem in Brookline, but after starting high school, she began to realize it was more common than she had expected. That realization motivated her to take action, and she said she has been encouraged by the support the club has received.

“I like most how many people and adults in Brookline are willing to help us and how much change we can really make,” Allyn said. “It’s not just that we’re a part of a club, there are things we can actually do on a town level that make an impact.”

Schwab-Jacobson said she also felt strongly about starting the club after seeing how drunk driving had affected people in her own community. She and Allyn looked into statistics, particularly in Massachusetts, and were struck by the number of deaths caused by drunk driving accidents.

“We have such a walkable neighborhood and there are so many ways to get around like the train,” Schwab-Jacobson said. “We thought that this is such a preventable issue so we are hoping to get some outreach in the school community.”

Schwab-Jacobson said it has been fun to present to parents because it allows them to reach a side of Brookline they don’t normally get to talk to.

“It can be really impactful [to speak to parents] because sometimes it’s hard to directly reach kids,” Schwab-Jacobson said. “People will give us really positive feedback because this is an issue that’s talked about a lot. It’s nice to create that space to talk about issues like this.”

Abby Dean,who teaches Peer Leadership and works for the Department of Public Health, was approached by the club’s co-founders because of her experience in substance use prevention. When they told her they wanted to start Students Against Drunk Driving, she was immediately supportive.

“I think everybody who’s driving under the influence thinks they’re fine,” Dean said. “There are some things that stick in my brain about reaction time slowing down and judgment slowing down and I think people forget how important that is.”

Allyn said the club wants to remind people that, especially in Brookline, there are plenty of safe alternatives to getting in the car with someone who’s been drinking.

“Before you get to that scenario, you should always plan ahead,” Allyn said. “You can Uber, you can walk, you can take the T or spend the night at someone’s house. There’s just always a better option than getting in the car with someone who’s drunk.”

Schwab-Jacobson said joining the club is an easy way to get involved at school, connect with others and support a meaningful cause.

“It’s definitely a good time for activism, and it’s hard to get started on your own, but it’s a lot easier when there’s other people already doing it,” Schwab-Jacobson said. “This could affect someone you love one day, so it’s definitely just a really good thing to get involved with for the community in the club and for helping out the bigger community in Brookline.”