Staying Safe This Summer, and Looking Out for the People Around You
Summer around here has a rhythm to it. The boats go out on the lake, the pools open back up, and weekend plans start getting made before the week is even halfway through. For a lot of families in Lancaster County, it's the season that finally feels like room to breathe. That's worth holding onto. And one of the best ways to protect it is being honest with yourself and the people you love about what it really means to be impaired, because it doesn't only mean alcohol, and it doesn't only show up in obvious ways.
This isn't about lecturing anyone. It's about making sure the people you care about actually make it to the next summer.
The Water Doesn't Give You a Second Chance
Whether you're heading out on Wateree, Wylie, or anywhere else this summer, operating a boat under the influence of any substance carries the same legal consequences as driving under the influence, and in South Carolina, it's treated the same way under the law. That includes alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications that affect your coordination, and anything else that changes how your brain and body respond. The water adds layers that a road doesn't: sun exposure, heat, physical exertion, and the kind of exhaustion that creeps in after a few hours outside. All of that compounds impairment, sometimes faster than people expect. Reaction time slows. Judgment gets clouded. And when something goes wrong on the water, the margin for error is almost zero.
That's why the plan has to be made before anyone gets on the boat, not after everyone's had a few hours in the sun. Decide who's staying sober. Not "we'll figure it out," but an actual conversation the night before or that morning. The same principle applies to the drive home from a cookout or a pool day. One person who's clear-headed, decided in advance, before anything has been consumed. It sounds like common sense because it is, and it's the kind of decision that can change everything.
Patterns Worth Noticing
Summer has a way of making certain patterns easy to miss, because everything feels celebratory and everyone seems to be doing the same thing. But there's a difference between enjoying the season and relying on something to get through it. If someone you care about needs a drink before they can relax, or can't seem to stop at one or two when everyone else does, or gets anxious or short-tempered when alcohol or marijuana isn't around, that's worth paying attention to. The same is true if someone is using substances in situations where the stakes are higher, like before getting behind the wheel or before getting on a boat.
Saying something is uncomfortable. It can feel like overstepping, especially when you're not sure you're reading the situation right. But there's rarely a wrong time to tell someone you care about them and that you've noticed something. You don't need to have the whole conversation figured out. You just have to open the door.
What's True About Marijuana and Impairment
One of the most common assumptions about marijuana is that it belongs in a different category than alcohol when it comes to impairment. It doesn't. Marijuana affects reaction time, depth perception, and decision-making, which means it carries real risk on the water, behind the wheel, and in any situation where you need to be sharp. And the products available today are not what they were ten or twenty years ago. THC potency has increased dramatically, which means the effects can be stronger and faster than people anticipate, even people who think they know how they respond to it. That's worth being honest with yourself about, the same way you'd be honest about whether you've had too much to drink before getting in a boat or a car.
The potency increase matters for everyone making decisions about driving and boating, and it matters especially for teenagers, whose developing brains are significantly more vulnerable to lasting effects from high-potency THC. If you have a young person in your life, summer is actually one of the better times to have that conversation. A long car ride or a few minutes before everyone scatters tends to work better than a formal sit-down, and starting from curiosity rather than lecture goes a lot further than you might expect. Johnny's Ambassadors has resources at johnnysambassadors.org, and CSL's prevention team works directly with schools and families across Lancaster County on exactly these kinds of conversations.
But that conversation starts with adults being clear-eyed about the same things we're asking teenagers to think through. What does it mean to be impaired? What are we willing to be honest about in ourselves and in the people we're responsible for? Those questions don't have an age limit.
CSL Is Here All Summer
Whether you're thinking about your own relationship with alcohol or substances, concerned about someone in your family or friend group, or looking for support around a conversation with a teenager, Counseling Services of Lancaster is here. Services are available regardless of your ability to pay, and there's no wrong reason to reach out.
Visit counselingserviceslancaster.org, call (803) 285-6911, or email csl@cslancaster.org.
No judgment. No barriers. Just real help from people who know this community.
