Have you ever had a family member or a friend die from drunk driving themselves, or because of someone else? I have. David Amerman. 23 years old. Jackie Raye Gillespie. 16 years old. Alan Mills. 21 years old.

Good reasons to NOT do it: 1.You are saving your life as well as others around you. 2.You don’t have to deal with going to jail, having your license taken away, or spending $5,000 to have a breathalyzer installed in your vehicles. 3.You’ll save yourself from the embarrassment of the whole situation. 4.You won’t hurt anyone else on the road from being drunk while driving. 5.Yes, there are other accidents that can occur, but at least it won’t be because you were drunk. 6.It’s just a stupid move to make, especially because there will always be at least ONE person that would come pick you up if need be. No one can honestly say they have absolutely no one they can call.

Facts & Statistics: o Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 48 minutes. o The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $51 billion. o In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (32%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. o Of the 1,314 traffic deaths among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2009, 181 (14%) involved an alcohol-impaired driver. o Of the 181 child passengers ages 14 and younger who died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2009, about half (92) were riding in the vehicle with the alcohol- impaired driver. o In 2009, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That's less than one percent of the 147 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year. o Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are often used in combination with alcohol. o Men were responsible for 4 in 5 episodes (81%) of drinking and driving in o Young men ages made up only 11% of the U.S. adult population in 2010, yet were responsible for 32% of all instances of drinking and driving. o 85% of drinking and driving episodes were reported by people who also reported binge drinking. Binge drinking means 5 or more drinks for men or 4 or more drinks for women during a short period of time.

More Facts & Statistics: o At midnight, 1 in 4 drivers has been drinking. At 2:00 AM, the number jumps to 1 in 2. o 4 out of 5 drunk drivers are male yet 1 in 3 deaths are female. o Of people ages 21 to 24 involved in fatal crashes, 35 percent had a BAC above the legal limit. o The most frequently recorded BAC level among drinking drivers in fatal crashes was.17, which is more than twice the legal limit.

States can: o Enforce 0.08% blood alcohol concentration and minimum legal drinking age laws. o Expand the use of sobriety checkpoints. o Require ignition interlocks for everyone convicted of drinking and driving, starting with their first offense. o Consider including strategies to reduce binge drinking—such as increasing alcohol taxes—to reduce drinking and driving, since the two behaviors are linked. o Pass primary enforcement seat belt laws that cover everyone in the car. Employers can: o Set policies that immediately take away all work-related driving privileges for any employee cited for drinking and driving while using a company or personal vehicle for work purposes. o Use workplace health promotion programs to communicate the dangers of drinking and driving, including information directed to family members. Health professionals can: o Help patients realize that car crashes are the leading cause of death for everyone ages 5-34 and that 1 in 3 crash deaths involves a drunk driver. o Routinely screen patients for risky drinking patterns, including binge drinking, and provide a brief intervention—a 10–15 minute counseling session—for patients who screen positive. Everyone can: o Choose not to drink and drive and help others do the same. o Before drinking, designate a nondrinking driver when with a group. o If out drinking, get a ride home or call a taxi. o Don't let friends drink and drive. o Choose not to binge drink themselves and help others not to do it. o Buckle up every time, no matter how short the trip. Encourage passengers in the car to buckle up, including those in the back seat.

I want to a birthday party But I remembered what you said. You told me not to drink at all, So I had a sprite instead. I felt proud of myself, The way you said I would, That I didn’t choose to drink and drive, Though some friends said I should. I knew I made a healthy choice and your advice to me was right as the party finally ended and the kids drove out of sight. I got into my own car, Sure to get home in one piece, Never knowing what was coming, Something I expected least. Now I’m lying on the pavement. I can hear the policeman say, “The kid that cause this wreck was drunk.” His voice seems far away. My own blood is all around me, As I try hard not to cry. I can hear the paramedic say, “This girl is going to die.” I’m sure the guy had no idea, While he was flying high, because he chose to drink and drive that I would have to die. So why do people do it, Knowing that it ruins lives? But now the pain is cutting me Like a hundred stabbing knives. Tell my sister not to be afraid, Tell Daddy to be brave. And when I go to heaven to Put ‘Daddy’s Girl’ on my grave. Someone should have taught him That it’s wrong to drink and drive. Maybe if his mom and dad had, I’d still be alive. My breath is getting shorter, I’m getting really scared. These are my final moments, And I’m so unprepared. I wish that you could hold me, Mom, As I lie here and die. I wish that I could say I love you and good-bye.

In conclusion, only YOU can make the smarter choice. Call a cab, call a friend, or a family member. You may think you’re good to drive, but all it takes is one time. That one time may be the last time you see your loved ones. The next time they see you it could be at your funeral or in jail. Same with riding with someone that’s been drinking or the person who’s been drinking letting people ride with him/her. Do you really want to risk killing yourself, your friends, girlfriend/boyfriend, family? Even if you have ONE drink, just wait a little while without drinking another, then drive. Even with one, if you drive right after, you can still blow the limit. Just think about it… is it really worth it?