However, the number of students choosing to drive after having consumed any alcohol didn't drop quite as steeply. In 2002, some 64 percent of students drove compared to 37.5 percent in 2016, according to the same survey.

"We just can't ever let up on reminding people that it's never OK to drink and drive," Green said.

Montana has triple the rate of deaths involving alcohol, according to the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency reported that out of 21- to 34-year-olds, the rate of deaths nationally is 6.7 per 100,000, but in Montana, it's 21.4 per 100,000.

Lonie Hutchison, senior community health specialist for the Missoula County DUI Task Force, also said the most dangerous year in a teen's life is the year the teen starts driving.

"Montana's young drivers have the highest crash rate of any group in the state, and they lose their lives to motor vehicle crashes more than any other cause," Hutchison said.

In the future, Hutchison would like to bring a similar educational program to high school students.