It’s Saturday night. Do you know where your kids are? Of the 20 million juniors and seniors in American high schools, half of them reported drinking alcohol on a monthly basis. In 2007, 82.6% of tenth graders reported that alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get. A 1990 survey found that 49% of 16-19 year olds in Massachusetts were more likely to engage in sexual behavior after alcohol consumption. Teens are responsible for the bulk of drinking and driving accidents. This social problem has had its ups and downs over the years from various factors, but the basic truth is that parents must start talking with their children about the effects of alcohol well before they get to high school. Having a stable parent-child relationship is crucial to fighting that teenage rebelliousness.

The drinking and driving statistics for 2005 were astounding. Roughly 1 million people were injured in drunken driving crashes that year. The NTSHA reported that 16,885 Americans died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 39% of all traffic-related deaths. Mothers Against Drunk Driving statistics show that the percentage jumped to 41% the following year. Additionally, the Department of Justice reported that another 1.4 million drivers were arrested for DUI or DWI.

In a survey done by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 159 million people admitted that they had been drinking and driving that year! Given these dangerous statistics, it seems that people are seriously underestimating the possible effects of alcohol on the road. Since alcohol consumption is known to physically impair judgment in the amygdala region of the brain, obscuring danger while simultaneously exciting the “reward center,” we almost can’t help ourselves. Therefore, the only way to resist the urge to just get in your car and go is to plan ahead with a designated driver or alternate form of transportation, set defined time and alcohol consumption limits for ourselves and learn your personal tolerance levels.

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 7:32 pm and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.