Learning to drive and obtaining a driver's license is a major rite of passage for teens. It is a time of exciting possibilities. It is also a time of grave risk.

Studies show that teen driving is the leading cause of death for teenagers. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data show that more than 300,000 teens are injured in car crashes each year. Nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes and more than 3,500 are killed. NHTSA research also shows that teen drivers are involved in more than five times as many fatal crashes as adults.

While these numbers are staggering, from 2000 to 2006, in Georgia alone 1,279 teenagers were killed in motor vehicle accidents.

The potential for teens to be involved in motor vehicle accidents increases exponentially during the summer months when teens and young adults are out of school. The Ad Council's Atlanta Leadership Committee and the Georgia chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) are working together to put the breaks on these alarming statistics by promoting the Ad Council's UR the Spokesperson campaign aimed at saving lives by reducing youth reckless driving.

With the message "Speak Up," the UR the Spokesperson campaign was designed to reach young adults between the age 15 and 21, encouraging them to speak up when they are in the car with friends and do not feel safe. The campaign seeks to increase awareness about the dangers of reckless driving and educate teens on how to be safer drivers by focusing on safe speeds, avoiding distractions, wearing seat belts, and the differences associated with driving SUVs.

The H1N1 flu virus is contagious and spreads person-to-person the same way that seasonal influenza does. The virus has quickly spread worldwide and in June 2009 the World Health Organization declared a global H1N1 flu epidemic.

While severity varies from mild to severe, children, young adults, pregnant women and 25-64 year olds with underlying health conditions (like asthma and diabetes) are more susceptible to falling ill to the H1N1 flu and are at higher risk for serious medical complications, including hospitalization and death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a three-step approach to fighting the flu: vaccination, everyday preventive actions including covering coughs, frequent hand washing, and staying home when sick, and the correct use of antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them. The campaign features celebrity PSA's including Marc Anthony, Amy Ryan and Jackie Joyner provided by the White House. YouTube PSA's and Sesame Street's Elmo and Gordon who instruct children on easy ways to stay healthy, focusing on how they should properly wash their hands, avoid touching their mouth, eyes and nose, and sneeze into the bend of their arm. Parents and children can find more information on how to stay healthy and avoid the H1N1 flu at www.FLU.gov.