The Problem Of Teen Drinking - 1450 Words

Every 51 minutes in America, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash. A dangerous issue facing society today is the problem of teen drinking and driving. Currently an approximate of 10,076 people die in drunk driving crashes per year. If positive progress to ceasing this act does not happen, teens will continue to drink and drive putting everybody on the road at risk. Teens who drink and drive put everyone on the road at risk, causing serious crashes that could be preventable. Background of the Problem A major factor contributing to alcohol-related car accidents is binge drinking. Teenage drinking is not legal, therefore teens usually cannot drink whenever they want. When teens do drink, they often times drink to get drunk on the†¦show more content†¦Fake IDs are often very effective because they are not always taken seriously in the bouncer world. There are approximately more fake IDs than real that are used on college campuses. A Her Campus survey found that â€Å"54.5% of readers surveyed had or currently have a fake ID† (Collins, 2012, p. 2). The people guarding the doors at clubs and bars aren’t always equipped to spot fake IDs. In an interview, FIRST NAME Shubaly, a New York bouncer, quoted â€Å"I never received any formal how-to-spot-a-fake-ID training† (Goldberg, 2009, p. 5). The rate that underaged people are getting into clubs factors into how easy it is for teens to get alcohol, which only increases the risk of a teen to get behind the whee l while under the influence, even if they were not planning on drinking that night. Teens who take on the responsibility of being a designated driver are sometimes still pressured into drinking. Teens who get peer pressured into drinking when they know they had a responsibility to drive later often still do. Some teens decide to drink a little bit at parties so it looks like they are trying to get drunk to other teens around them in order to look or feel cool. â€Å"While 71% of teens have tried alcohol by the end of high school, far fewer drink to get drunk† (Barker, 2013, p. 6). When a teen gives into peer pressure or takes â€Å"just one sip,† they do not always know what they are getting themselves into. Most kids wildly overestimate the prevalence of