A recent article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution addresses the perils of teenage drivers and drinking, noting that underage DUI is especially a concern from April to June.
It doesn't take a lot of thought to understand why that is the case. Spring fever is in the air, summer -- and graduation for many teens -- is rapidly approaching, and parties and various galas are on the imminent horizon.
Foremost among the latter is the one evening devoted annually to prom, a night that is among the most dangerous of the year for teens out on the roads. Although no statistics are readily available to indicate precisely how deadly the prom rite of passage is for teens collectively across the country, this much is known: Fully one third of all alcohol-related driving deaths involving teens occur during the prom and end-of-year school season.
That figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Compared to statistics cited by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, it is a conservative estimate. That organization states that alcohol consumption is a key factor in about 50 percent of all teen fatalities that occur in car accidents during the prom period. According to the institute, about 5,000 people under 21 die each year from underage drinking, with nearly 40 percent of those deaths owing to drunk driving among juveniles.
Prom is a momentous event for teens. For most, it becomes a happy and lifelong memory. Schools, activity organizers and teen peer groups can help to keep it that way and lessen the risks by spreading the word about responsible behavior and alcohol abuse.
Related Resource: www.ajc.com "Programs target alcohol, drugs during proms" April 1, 2011
