Drinking and Driving Essay -- Drunk Driving Alcohol DUI Influence Essa

Drunk driving is considered a serious crime in every state. It is wrong, irresponsible and wastes many lives. People who abuse alcohol hurt everyone around them, endanger public safety, and create carnage on the nation's highways. There is nothing positive that can come out of drunk driving, so why do people do it? It is society's job to punish these menaces and try to take control of this out of control issue. America doesn't want to watch idly as hundreds of people are killed each day. We want to take a stand and let the world know that we may be the 'land of the free and the brave' but there is nothing brave or free about driving drunk. What should be done about this problem is debatable and certainly open to discussion, but the first step is lowering the BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level from .10 to .08. Many states have already done this and I commend them on this decision, but the government needs to mandate this to all the states. Some people oppose this decision and sa y that it is based on 'emotion, personal vendettas, and irrational, sound public policy, nor backed up by statistical data.'( DWI Dilema, Internet source) However, I disagree. We need to send the message that it is not acceptable, nor is it constitutional to drive under any influence of alcohol, weather it be .08 or .20.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?Drunken driving was once treated much as car accidents?a regrettable but unavoidable part of life on the roads. But a vocal grass-roots movement led my MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) persuaded much of the country, over two decades, to view it as a type of criminal negligence. Public patience with drunk drivers quickly grew thin as well-publicized death tolls mounted. ( Mishra, Internet source)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What exactly is drunk driving? This is a question that has yet to be answered. ?To determine the concentration of alcohol in the body at any given time, it is necessary to establish the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which measures the percentage of alcohol in the blood. When a person consumes more alcohol than his or her body can immediately eliminate, alcohol accumulates in the bloodstream and the BAC rises.?(Henderson, 23) In Connecticut the BAC level is .08, this means that the blood alcohol level needed to be arrested for drunken driving has to be .08 or higher. ?One can also be convicted of drunk driving without the results of a blood alcoho... ...st charge of failure to appear carries the potential penalty of 1 year in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  America is not putting a deaf ear to the war on drunk driving. It is far from over, but every step we take to get it under control, is a step toward drying it up. Lowering the BAC level is just the first step, we still have a long journey ahead of us. Connecticut has taken a stand and been one of the twelve states to lower their legal BAC level to .08. I truly agree with this decision, and hope that other states will follow our lead. ?Strict criminal prosecution of alcohol-impaired drivers is the most effective deterrent in reducing the menace of alcohol-impaired driving.?(Henderson, 108) This battle isn?t just between people who are old enough to drive as well as drink. Teenagers, much like my self, are taking action against drunk driving. In Hamden High School we have a very active club called S.A.D.D.(Students against Drunk Driving) This club makes young people aware of the dangers of driving even after drinking small amounts of alcohol. This is an issue that i s not to be taken lightly, and it certainly isn?t. I just hope that one day, this issue will be non-existent.