184 Deaths Predicted Due to Drunk Driving

Despite designated driver campaigns and even public service announcements from alcohol manufacturers promoting "safe drinking", the National Safety Council predicts 184 people will die during the New Year's holiday period and another 10,000 will incur serious injuries due to traffic accidents involving alcohol. According to the annual Household Survey on Drug Abuse 25 million Americans reported driving under the influence of alcohol in 2001. For younger adults aged 18-25, nearly 23 percent reported driving after drinking.
Alcohol kills over 6 times more young people than all other illicit drugs combined. The younger a person begins drinking the more likely they are to develop alcohol problems later in life, including dependency and driving under the influence. To characterize the rate of alcohol-related fatal crashes among young drivers, CDC analyzed unpublished data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a national database of information on fatal crashes. More than 17,000 were killed in alcohol-related crashes last year, representing over 40% of all traffic deaths, with around 500,000 injured annually. The economic burden of annual alcohol-related crashes equates to $114 billion.
One organization dedicated to fighting driving under the influence is Mothers Against Drunk Driving ( www.madd.org ), founded in 1980. Statistics like the ones in this article are staggering to say the least, and organizations such as MADD and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs are vital tools in the battle to overcome substance abuse. Don't let a loved one become a statistic; please be safe.

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