Posts Tagged ‘Alcohol Consumption’

Legal Drinking Age Debate – What Age Should Alcohol Consumption Be Legal?

Posted on Sep 27, 2010

Currently there is a debate in the country brewing to change the age when someone can drink alcoholic beverages legally. What age should alcohol consumption be legal?

Using To Mark Milestones

When a child becomes 13 in America it is considered a milestone; it marks the onset of the teenage years. 16 is another milestone because it is the time in most states when a teenager can drive a car and in many states they can legally marry. 18 is the last of the teenage years when it becomes legal to marry in most states, vote in national elections, volunteer for military service and it is the legal definition of an adult. This marks the time when children become legally responsible for their actions in American society. This is when they are considered adults.

Current Legal Drinking Age

The legal drinking age in the U.S. is 21 years old. It was raised to this level nationally in the 1980s. This was because of a law called the National Minimum Age Drinking Act, was passed by congress and signed into law in the 80s. It forced states that had lower legal drinking ages to raises the legal drinking age or be threatened with the reduction of highway funds provided by the federal government.

When Is Mature Mature?

The main thrust of the debate is when a person is mature enough to be able to drink alcohol responsibly and can almost arbitrary number predict when someone has reach this level of maturity or can reasonably be considered mature. At what age is someone mature enough to be able to alter their consciousness and still be able to make good decisions? Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Does the fact that your consciousness has been altered almost automatically mean that you have lost the ability to make mature decisions?

Opponents Say Binge Drinking Need to be Regulated

Some argue that the drinking age should be kept at 21 because of binge drinking. Binge drinking is currently being reported in the media as reaching alarming levels recently. Binge drinking is used as evidence that those below the age of 18 are just too immature to be allowed to make a decision about their consciousness.

Proponents Say Binge Drinking Needs To Be Regulated

While on the other side of the debate those proponents of lowering the drinking age use the increase in binge drinking as evidence that the legal drinking age should be lowered. They say that because the legal drinking age is 21 it promotes binge drinking because the prohibition forces underage drinkers to drink in places without regulation.

Should The Legal Drinking Age Be The Debate?

Both arguments seem rather circular in their logic and it seems to the clear thinkers that the ultimate societal concern should be why society produces so many people that need their consciousness altered by a chemical substance alcohol or otherwise just to be able to function socially.

Drinking Debate Continuing Infinites

What needs to be examined is not the arbitrary age or mythical maturity level which allows a person to be able to drink responsibly but what is wrong with us that we need to drink responsibly at all and until this is understood this circular debate can continue until the age is lowered, than after a few decades raised, then lowered again when someone comes along with a better sounding speech or argument. Until the scientific or societal cause is determined nothing will really be solved at all.

Alcohol Consumption and Traffic Crashes in US

Posted on Sep 20, 2010

An organization called Insurance Institute for Highway Safety keeps track of alcohol consumption and traffic accident in the U.S. It is a neutral party that investigates the reasons behind traffic crashes, injuries and deaths on the highways of America. Insurance companies help the organization by donating money for its work hoping that the results of their investigation will reduce the number of accident on the roads which is in the insurance companies’ best interest. This organization also keeps track of alcohol consumption and traffic crashes in the U.S.

Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Traffic Crashes in US

It is not easy to calculate the proportion of traffic accidents and automobile crashes that involve alcohol consumption. Getting definite numbers is not entirely possible. Even though drinking is known to elevated the chances of vehicle accidents but its presence alone is not enough to say it caused an accident. All accidents that a driver has with an elevated blood alcohol level are not caused by drinking.

Statistical Difficulties in Calculating Alcohol Consumption and Accidents

To find out the amount of accidents caused by alcohol consumption, it first has to be established how many times people in America drive while drinking and do not cause accidents. This is a stat that is rarely measured and is difficult to come by.

Results of Studies Done on Fatal Traffic Accident and Alcohol Consumption

A study done in 2002 by the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) estimated a number just below 40% represented the number of all traffic deaths that happened with one of the drivers having a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or above. This stat is used to show proof that 1/3 to 1/2 of all deadly accidents are caused by alcohol consumption and that the accidents would not have happened if alcohol consumption was not somehow involved. However making this assumption is not entirely accurate and is a little misleading due to the fact that alcohol is just one of many factors which affect accident and people that drive while intoxicated.

Using estimated calculations to come up with numbers

The above stat may be accurate but it is still based partially on estimated numbers and incomplete information. More accurate studies show that only about 13 percent of all vehicle operators involved in deadly accidents in the US during a specific year were known to have had high levels of alcohol in their systems due to consumption. This number is more accurate because it is based off looking at the official records of all crashes that involve a deaths during that year in the U.S. this takes out the guess work of early studies and shows a reduced rate of alcohol consumption and traffic crashes in the U.S.

Unreported Crashes

Consider also that these studies are all based on crashes that involve fatalities because these accidents will most certainly be reported. How many accidents which involve alcohol consumption or no alcohol consumption are not ever reported to any agency? This will make you understand how many facts that are reported in the popular press which are based on guesswork and estimations are reported as fact.

Reducing factors which contribute to crashes in US

Alcohol consumption is just one factor in reducing preventable traffic crashes and there has been a drop in alcohol related crashes over the years, this does not negate the fact that we must do more to prevent drunk driving it just points to the fact that we must do even more to reduce crashes caused by all factors like a cell phone users, aggressive drivers, or sleepy drivers. They must all be reduced.

Alcohol, DWI Issues2 Comments »Alcohol Consumption DWI Crashes

Holiday Drunk Driving Crashes

Posted on Feb 17, 2010

Holidays are a nightmare for traffic handlers as this the time when most accidents related to drunk driving occurs. It is a fact that most individuals feel compelled to increase their alcohol intake during holidays and then unfortunately think that they will have the same responsiveness as when they are sober.

It is also a fact that during holidays, alcohol-manufacturing companies increase their ads to lure drinkers to increase their intake in order to boost their profits. This advertising is done both directly and subliminally and it is the drivers who are left holding the stick at the wrong end of the law.

Holiday Drunk Driving and Young Drivers

Statistics show that young drivers between the ages of 21 to 34 accounts for most of the alcohol related accidents and road deaths during holidays. The same study shows that of all arrested DUI offenders, this age group pool possess the highest blood alcohol content levels and this same group are most unlikely to change their drinking habits during holiday periods.

Many cops will tell you that young drivers are some of the most inexperienced individuals behind the wheel of a car. They are unable to negotiate difficult or unsuspecting traffic maneuvers and are the most likely to cause traffic accidents. This fact coupled with the loss of coordination caused from alcohol consumption is like a time bomb waiting to explode.

Peak Holiday Drunk Driving Crashes

Most individuals would think that New Year’s Eve would have the highest levels of drunk driving crashes. This is due to the high consumption of Champaign and other beverages. However, to the surprise of many, New Year’s is a distant second to thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is a time of family togetherness where families come together to celebrate the year’s successes and just share time with each other. During this time, there is extensive alcohol consumption that leaves individuals usually spent by the end of the day. Most family members will visit from locations all over the country and then must leave by the end of the day to prepare for regular events the following day. During their travel back home, they are then left at the mercy of fate. Unfortunately, many do not make it, as they are unable to negotiate their way back home and end up included in the statistics of holiday drink driving crashes.

Alaska the Queen of Holiday Drunk Driving Crashes

A little known fact is that Alaska has the highest rate of holiday drunk driving fatal crashes in the US. Many theories have been put forward as to why this is so, but just as the reasons are many, the same is the amount of rebuttals.

However, one of the strongest suggestions is that these holiday crashes are related to the extended cold seasons that exist in the state. This extended cold season results in individuals consuming more alcohol in an effort to keep their internals warm. This high alcohol consumption coupled with the icy road conditions make controlling a vehicle almost impossible. This then leads to severe traffic accidents that unfortunately are often fatal.

DUI, Drunk Driving3 Comments »Alcohol Consumption Drunk Driving DUI Holiday Crashes