Every person is accountable for his or her own "right to drink". Failure to treat this or any "right" responsibly has consequences. The person's "right" can and should be taken away when the failure to act responsibly endangers other.
             Today I would like to talk to you about the problems of drinking and driving, and why it is a concern for all of us.
             I'd like to start off by talking about the penalties of drinking and driving. Did you know that drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime? A chronic drunk driver is a person who has driven over 1,000 times before being caught. They do not respond to social pressures, law enforcement, and the messages that have been combined to reform the drinking and driving behavior of our society. Given the highly disproportionate role that these people play in drunk driving incidents, injuries, and fatalities, it would be wise to put our focus on them. The chronic drunk drivers comprise only a small percentage of all the drivers, yet they cause the most accidents. Studies have found that 21 to 34 year olds make up approximately half of all the drunk drivers that are in alcohol-related fatal accidents. They are also responsible for more fatal accidents than any other age group, and seem to have the highest blood alcohol content. This is where the biggest problem is, considering that they are resistant to change their drinking patterns and behavior. About a third of all drivers arrested for DWI's are repeat offenders according to data gathered in 13 states.
             Every single injury and death caused by a drunk driver is totally preventable. Know your limit! If you are not sure what your limit is experiment at home with a responsible person. Most people find that they can drink about one drink per hour without any ill effects. It is illegal for a bar or restaurant to serve an intoxicated person in all but four sta...