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Young adults/adolescents ages 18-25 are most likely to binge or drink heavily. 54% of the drinkers in this age group binge and about one in four are heavy drinkers! (, 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse).
- Teenage drivers cause about five times as many vehicle-related deaths as middle aged drivers.
- In 1996, over 17,000 people died in alcohol-related car crashes in the United States. An alarming 2,315 of them were adolescents (between 15 and 20 years old).
- Almost half of all motor vehicle crashes that kill teenagers are either caused by or influenced by alcohol use and/or abuse.
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“Driving a car while intoxicated is deadly for drivers of all ages, especially teenagers. Teens are the most inexperienced age group on the road. They are subject to more peer pressure and risk-taking, less likely to wear seat belts and more likely to drink and drive than others. Unfortunately, they may also be the hardest of all age groups to reach with preventive efforts.” (Adapted from the AAP brochure, "Teens Who Drink and Drive: Reducing the Death Toll" and the AAP book Caring For Your Adolescent, Ages 12 to 21.)
- Car accidents are a leading cause of death for teenagers. In a 1999 survey it was discovered that one out of four drivers or riders killed or injured in road accidents were over the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration.
These points are only a small selection of thousands of quotes, facts and exerts that are available. It is obvious that the media’s view on adolescence, alcohol and driving is that adolescents are the most susceptible to alcohol, which leads to drink driving, injuries, and sometimes fatalities. This, however, is quite ironic – because it is the media through advertising, movies and role models (‘heroes’) that publicise alcohol and lead adolescents into the trap of thinking that drinking is the norm, or drinking is ‘cool’ etc.
Although the media’s views on adolescence, alcohol and driving are exaggerated in some places the base line of their arguments are correct. For example the information that they use is factual – they just twist and stretch it in some places to make it seem worse than it really is. The media’s underlying argument to all of their documentaries, reports, and articles etc. is that the mixture of adolescence, alcohol and driving is a deadly concoction. On this point I absolutely agree, as do many others.
Due to the fact that adolescence, alcohol and driving can be deadly it is important to note some methods of avoiding a ‘sticky end’. Here are a few methods of avoiding placing yourself (or someone else) in a situation where you/they could injure yourself/themselves or someone else involved in drink driving:
- Keep clear of Binges or parties that involve alcohol, because at an event like this it is highly likely that you will go over the top…literally.
- Get a group together, or join a group, that has fun and socialises but is alcohol free.
- If you are at a party or event with alcohol either refuse the drinks (politely of course) or only drink a small amount.
- Encourage those around your friends to drink beverages other than alcoholic ones.
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IF IN DOUBT, DROP OUT – if you don’t trust, or don’t know much about the group you are with then don’t get involved.
Keatan Bauer
Bibliography
Title Type Author & Date
1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse Web Site
"Teens Who Drink and Drive: Reducing the Death Toll" Brochure
"Costs of Underage Drinking" Report K Stewart ’99
“1999 Monitoring the Future Study, College Students and Young Adults”
Site
“National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence” Site
Search Engine – “adolescence, alcohol and driving” Search Engine
OTHER REFERNCES ARE LOCATED WITHIN THE DOCUMENT, AFTER QUOTES AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF TEXT TAKEN FROM SOURCES