By: Kasey Gragg

Why Not Drink and Drive? WHY NOT?: Why not drink? Why not drive? Why not drink and drive? What if I want to have a good time? What if everyone else is drinking? What if I only had one drink? What if I feel fine? What if I don’t have another ride home?

BECAUSE! BECAUSE: Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death among youth ages There were 7,460 youth motor vehicle deaths in 2005 (including both passengers and drivers). Twenty-eight percent (28%) of 15- to 20-year-old drivers who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2005 had been drinking. Out of 12,998 drinking and driving fatalities in the United States in 2007, 1,393 were caused due to teen drinking and driving.

 Drinking is a developmental process. Like all developments, it must start somewhere. As a flower seed germinates, so does the temptation of trying alcohol. This “germination” of the brain can last for up to two years before developing into action. As of 2003, 14 was the average age for first uses of alcohol, with a small percentile of first tastes occurring in children under 12.

 Once many teens try alcohol for the first time, they are more likely to keep drinking. According to pubs.gov, research shows that the younger children are when they start to drink, the more likely they are to become involved in behaviors that harm themselves and others. This includes but is not limited to drinking extensively, drinking and driving, etc.

 Drinking can not only lead to more drinking but to other destructive decisions, as well. Frequent binge drinkers, which includes over 1 million high school students nationwide, are more likely to use other drugs (marijuana, cocaine), having sex with six or more partners, and earning low grades in school.  In relation to drinking and driving, approximately 5,000 young people under 21 die because of underage drinking each year, including about 1,900 deaths also involving motor vehicle crashes. 1,600 die as a result of homicides, 300 die from suicide, and hundreds of others dies due to other types of accidental death (falls, burns, drownings, etc.)

Keeping this path in mind, it is important to understand why children and adolescents may begin drinking in the first place…

 Some major developmental transitions like puberty, increasing independence, and other natural lifestyle changes have been linked with alcohol use.  As the human brain doesn’t cease to develop until the mid-twenties, scientists believe that risk-taking and thrill-seeking, like drinking and driving, become ways of expression. Also, a physiological explanation could be the failure to recognize that actions have consequences, which is a common fault in teenagers.

 Children who have one or more alcoholic family members are at greater risk for alcohol related problems.  Children of alcoholics are 4 to 10 times more likely to become alcoholics themselves than children with no alcoholic family members.

 Many researchers believe that underage drinking is due to a combination of factors, the most prevalent being environmental factors:  Media (television, radio, internet, etc.)  Parents  Peers  Boyfriend/Girlfriend

 Liver Effects: Liver enzymes, which indicate liver damage, have been detected in some adolescents who drink alcohol. Those adolescents who are overweight show liver enzymes with only moderate levels of drinking. Peptic ulcers, which line the stomach, can also occur.  Growth and Endocrine Effects: Consumption of alcohol during the critical, lengthy period of adolescence has been shown to upset the critical hormone balance needed for normal organ, muscle, and bone development. In rare cases, adolescent drinking can also affect the reproductive system.

 Heart Damage: Cardiomyopathy is major and something that alcohol abusers are likely to experience. Through this, the heart’s muscular tissue is damaged and weakened, which results in a stronger likelihood of heart failure (long- term). Anemia and bleeding disorders are also results of serious alcoholism.  Brain Damage: Reaction time is slowed, and the brain is dulled. Inhibitions are lowered, and mental block outs, distorted coordination, and emotional reactions can occur.

 Friends:  Volunteer to be a designated driver  Incorporate positive role models into the circle of friends  Take the keys and offer to let the friend spend the night  Talk to friends about the health risks and the consequences of driving while drunk.  Community:  Enforce drunk driving laws  Reduce alcohol availability by regulating alcohol sources  Involve local media to increase awareness  Parents:  Use positive reinforcement  Provide consistent discipline and rulemaking  Monitoring children's activities during adolescence  Strengthen family bonding.  Provide continuous discipline

 Self:  Serious Injury  Death  OTHERS:  Serious Injury  Death  DUI  Revocation of license  Jail time  Alcoholic Anonymous or other counseling programs  Heavy fines

 "Drunk Driving - Penalties for Driving Drunk - Drunk Driver Penalties." Alcoholism - The Alcoholism Home Page. Web. 28 Feb  "Health Risks In Alcohol Abuse." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. Web. 28 Feb  "SADD Statistics." Welcome to SADD. Web. 28 Feb  "Strategies to Prevent Underage Drinking." NIAAA Publications. Web. 28 Feb  "Teen Drinking and Driving Facts - Teenage Drunk Driving Statistics." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 28 Feb  "Underage Drinking-Why Do Adolescents Drink, What Are the Risks, and How Can Underage Drinking Be Prevented?" NIAAA Publications. Web. 28 Feb