East Greenwich will host “A Conversation about Impaired Driving, the Law, and a Call to Action” Thursday, Dec. 8, at Swift Auditorium, 121 Peirce Street, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

This community forum, sponsored by the Tori Lynn Andreozzi Foundation, is where victims, highway safety professionals, legislators, prevention specialists, prosecutors, members of law enforcement, and the public can discuss ways to make the roadways in Rhode Island safer by eliminating impaired driving.

 Moderators and speakers include: Gracie Kauffman – East Greenwich Class of 2023 and friend of Olivia Passaretti;  Cathy Andreozzi Founder of the Tori Lynn Andreozzi Foundation; Stephen Dambruch,  Chief, Criminal Division, RI Office of the Attorney General; Gabrielle Abbate,  Chief, Office of Highway Safety, RIDOT; Stephanie Lueckel, M.D.,  Chief, Trauma, RI Hospital; Faculty, Brown University;  Officer Thomas Cole, School Resource Officer, East Greenwich High School; Ireland Judge, PFS Grant Manager, Kent County Prevention Coalition and Robert Houghtaling, Director, Substance Abuse Prevention & Mental Health, East Greenwich.

The East Greenwich Conversation is the Senior Project of Gracie Kauffman, Class of 2023 and friend of Olivia Passaretti, victim of an impaired driver. Kaufmann reflects that “Time is everything we have and [everything we] don’t.”

 “Many teens will express an inclination to demonstrate their autonomy (growing up) by engaging in risky behavior. This is where they need our guidance, support and boundaries. Protecting young learners is not just a school issue; it is one that should involve the entire community,” says Robert Houghtaling, Director, Substance Abuse Prevention & Mental Health for the Town of East Greenwich.

“Our choices dictate the moments in our life. They will be moments we long to relive or live to regret,” says Cathy Andreozzi. Rhode Island’s percentage of crashes involving an impaired operator is much higher than the rest of the country and is unacceptable as impaired driving is very preventable. These community conversations can help move the state towards its goal of zero deaths by bringing stakeholders together to voice their concerns about the unacceptable current state of affairs in RI.