Teens Do Not Fear The Problems That Come With Alcohol

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 27.6 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds in the U.S. consumed alcohol in the past month. The report showed that New England and the upper Midwest are areas of the country where underage drinking is extremely high. Underage drinking has had a hand in the deaths of many teenagers every year form drunk driving accidents. Naively, teens do not fear the problems that come with alcohol like they do the problems associated with drugs; this misconception is a large reason why teen continue to drink. The research is out there, we now know the serious health problems that accompany alcohol; yet, today's youth does not seem to heed the warnings for one reason or another.

Another major concern with underage drinking is the development of alcoholism at a young age. Countless people come into this world with a predisposition to drink alcohol that they inherited from someone in their family tree. The younger a person is when problems like these come to the surface, the harder it will be to quit when the time comes. There is no age limit to being an alcoholic; the disease of alcoholism does not discriminate. Alcoholism at a young age can be very difficult to discern, for some parents, the idea that their child could have an alcohol problem is unfathomable. Parents need to be vigilant and keep tabs on their children's activity so that if there is a problem it can be dealt with sooner rather than later. Ask Questions!

Federal Data:

• underage drinking rates were highest in North Dakota (40.6 percent) and Vermont (40.4 percent)
• underage drinking rates were lowest in Utah (13.7 percent)
• 8.6 percent of underage drinkers were able to purchase their own alcohol, 18.8 percent in Louisiana and the District of Columbia
• Underage drinkers in Alaska (3.1 percent) and New Mexico (3.7 percent) were the least likely to report buying their own booze.

The best thing a parent can do is talk to their kids about the dangers of alcohol, find news stories to provide examples that children can understand. There is no question, parents are the first line of defense against underage drinking; kids will look for guidance and they certainly model what they witness at home. Take a Stand!

Maryland Automobile Ignition Interlocks

The state of Maryland is making big steps to bring automobile ignition interlocks into effect. Three bills are being considered in Maryland that would require that first time DUI offenders as well as those charged with drunken driving who receive probation before judgment use ignition interlocks. Ignition interlocks are devices that attach to the ignition of a vehicle, before the car will start the driver must blow into a tube that reads their blood alcohol level; even if theirs is even a .01 BAC the vehicle will not start. The driver will be alerted when driving around to pull over and breathe into the tube periodically, in an attempt to keep drivers from drinking after they start their vehicle.

Interlocks have been used in California for quite a few years and they have been relatively effective in deterring drunk driving. As July 1, 2009 the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) required that any driver convicted of driving with a suspended license due to a prior alcohol-related suspension to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle (owned or operated) by the offender for one to three years. It would seem that this law would keep anyone from driving drunk, but, sadly there are still thousands of DUI offenders every year in California.

Maryland's House of Delegates three proposed bills provided by the Washington Post:

• HB 515, sponsored by Del. Tanya Thornton Shewell(R-Carroll), would require use for one year without exception.
• HB 630, sponsored by Del. Luiz Simmons (D-Montgomery), would require use up to three years, although a judge is permitted to rule otherwise after considering whether the violation involved personal injury or property damage; whether the driver willingly submitted to an alcohol test; whether an interlock would be a hardship on the driver or the driver's family; whether the driver has received treatment for alcohol abuse; whether the driver poses a danger; whether the driver is likely to drive drunk again; and whether there are "any other factors bearing on the interests of the defendant or the public."
• HB 743, sponsored by Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery), requires use for at least six months without exception.

It appears that all three bills will have a strong effect on the drunk drivers in Maryland, but it is hard to say which would be the most effective. What are your thoughts on ignition interlocks?

Tests Show that the Driver was Drunk in Parkway Crash that Killed Eight

A terrible event took place on July 26 along a Westchester Highway in New York State. Tests show that the driver was drunk in parkway crash that killed eight; not only drunk but also high on marijuana. There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding why Diane Schuler would drive intoxicated with her: son Bryan 5, daughter Erin 2, and her three nieces, Emma Hance, 8; Alyson Hance, 7; and Kate Hance, 5. Diane Schuler had a blood alcohol level of .19 and had un-metabolized vodka still in her stomach when she drove the wrong way head on into a Chevy Trailblazer driven by Guy Bastardi along with his father Michael, and family friend Daniel Longo who were all killed in the tragic crash. Only one person, Diane Shuler's son Bryan, made it out of the wreck with his life and is still hospitalized.

Diane Schuler did not survive to account for her actions on that terrible day, who pays for this crime and who will explain how Schuler was allowed to drive off into the sunset wasted with so many children? A New York Times Article stated, "On July 26, Ms. Schuler loaded her two children, Erin, 2, and Bryan, 5, and her three nieces into the minivan to drive them home from a camping trip in the Catskills. Her husband, Daniel, also left the campground at the same time, with a dog, in his pickup truck, said Ann Scott, the owner of the Hunter Lake Campground, where the Schulers had spent most of their summer weekends for the past three years". Scott said on Tuesday that she never saw either of them with a drink that morning and that everything seemed normal.

“When I stopped to say hello to her, the kids were yelling in the car, saying, ‘We had a good time, we’re coming back,’ ” Ms. Scott said. “The husband just waved like he usually did with a smile on his face. She was fine. I said, ‘Have a safe trip home.’ She said, ‘See you soon.’ And that was it. And off she went. It was as normal as apple pie.” I guess things were not normal when a mother is driving down a highway high on marijuana and a bottle of Absolut Vodka between her legs with a van full of children. It does not make sense to me that no one noticed that something wasn't right when Schuler drove off that morning. Neither her husband nor Ann Scott can account for what took place to make Diane Schuler such a big risk, a risk that many would have to pay for with their lives.

As I said above, there are many unanswered questions, many questions that may never be resolved; however, this event can serve as a "teaching moment" for families. If you see behavior that is out of the ordinary, then don't be afraid to start a dialogue with your family member. It could save their life and others.