| Teenage drunk driving is a serious problem for our | | | | with access to alcohol and/or drugs. Statistics show |
| nations youth. It's hard to believe but more and more | | | | that one out of every ten teens (age 12-13) drink |
| teenagers are using and abusing alcohol and/or drugs | | | | alcohol at a minimum of once per month. By limiting the |
| than ever before. Combine that with the intense peer | | | | access that these teenagers have to drugs and/or |
| pressure that teenagers go through and we have a | | | | alcohol we are half way there to controlling this |
| serious problem called teenage drunk driving. | | | | dangerous problem of teenage drunk driving. |
| The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | | | | Teenage drunk drivers also face some serious legal |
| (NHTSA) reports that motor vehicle crashes are the | | | | consequences that will harm them into their adult lives. |
| leading cause of death for teenagers between the | | | | They face revocation of their driving privileges, stiff |
| ages of 15 and 20. One report puts the numbers of | | | | fines, probation, alcohol education and treatment, and |
| high school students who admit to driving after drinking | | | | community service not to mention potential jail/prison |
| at almost 50% of those polled. That's a staggering | | | | time for a severe offense. |
| statistic by any means but what's even worse is that | | | | Overall this problem has not gotten enough publicity |
| these are teenagers who aren't used to being behind | | | | and awareness... most parents don't realize that their |
| the wheel, going through emotional changes/puberty, | | | | kids have access to alcohol nonetheless that they |
| and subject to a tremendous amount of peer | | | | 'may' be driving drunk. The solutions to this problem |
| pressure. | | | | encompass education, awareness, preventing access |
| The problem comes from the amount of teenagers | | | | to alcohol, and most of all prevention. |