UNDERAGE DRINKING AND DRIVING PREVENTION
Where ever there are bored teens and an ability to get alcohol, one can almost immediately expect underage drinking to occur. Here are ways underage drinking and driving is being prevented.
The Law of 21
This is the law that requires people to be 21 years of age or older in order to purchase alcohol. This law is strictly enforced state to state in any institution that sells alcohol. To help ensure that this law is being enforced, sting operations are set-up at stores that sell alcohol. An underage kid will go into the store and attempt to buy alcohol. If the cashier is doing his job the correct way, then he will not sell the kid alcohol. As a cashier, I personally know how strict these laws are, and I abide by them everyday, making sure I am not the one responsible for underage drinking.
Schools
Some schools concerned about underage drinking check students with breatalyzers at the doors. If the student fails the breathalyzer then their parent is contacted to pick them up and bring them home. Also, schools are enlisting the help of organizations such as MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) in order to better educate students on the issue of underage drinking and driving. Alcoholics Anonymous also has a teen alcohol abuse program calls Al-Anon Teens, offering help to students who have parents who abuse alcohol. It teaches them to live with alcohol abusing parents without being addicted to it themselves. (1)