Teenage Drunk Driving
By Tim H
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Teenage drunk driving is a serious problem for our nations youth. It’s hard to believe but more
and more teenagers are using and abusing alcohol and/or drugs than ever before. Combine that with the intense peer pressure
that teenagers go through and we have a serious problem called teenage drunk driving.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading
cause of death for teenagers between the ages of 15 and 20. One report puts the numbers of high school students who
admit to driving after drinking at almost 50% of those polled.
That’s a
staggering statistic by any means but what’s even worse is that these are teenagers who aren’t used to being
behind the wheel, going through emotional changes/puberty, and subject to a tremendous amount of peer
pressure.
The problem comes from the amount of teenagers with access to alcohol and/or drugs. Statistics show that one out
of every ten teens (age 12-13) drink alcohol at a minimum of once per month.
By limiting the access that these teenagers have to drugs and/or alcohol we are half way there to controlling
this dangerous problem of teenage drunk driving.
| Medical research continues to reveal greater health risks for women who drink
compared to men. The latest studies show that females, even young women, face more brain damage
than men who drink the same amount for the same period of time. |
Teenage drunk drivers also face some serious legal consequences that will harm them into their adult lives. They
face revocation of their driving privileges, stiff fines, probation, alcohol education and treatment, and community
service not to mention potential jail/prison time for a severe offense.
| A recent study found that 34 percent of drivers admitted to a Maryland trauma
center tested positive for drugs only, while 16 percent tested positive for alcohol only; 50
percent of those under 18 tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs. |
Overall this problem has not gotten enough publicity and awareness… most parents don’t realize that their kids
have access to alcohol nonetheless that they ‘may’ be driving drunk.
The solutions to this problem encompass education, awareness, preventing access to alcohol, and most of all
prevention.
| If you want to avoid the long-term effects of alcohol abuse and alcoholism such
as unnecessary alcohol-related health problems later in life, drink in moderation or not at
all. |
DUI Arrest Help.com provides everything there is to know about DUI/ drunk driving for offenders. Get a free
consultation with a DUI lawyer and/or find the best deals on SR22 insurance
| Don't be fooled. The contents of the typical bottle or can of beer, glass of
wine, or liquor drink (mixed drink or straight liquor) each contain virtually identical
amounts of pure alcohol. When it comes to alcohol, a drink is a drink is a drink and are
all the same to a breathalyzer. |
| Research has demonstrated that American teenagers who drink alcohol are 50
times more likely to engage in cocaine use than teens who never drink alcohol. More than
anything else, this statistic probably means the following: almost every person who
uses cocaine at one time or another got their start in substance abuse by drinking.
In short, it would be very rare indeed to find people who are "open" to using cocaine who
are not "open" to drinking alcohol. |
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