Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Underage Drinking and Driving

If you’re a minor, meaning you're under 21 years of age, and found to be in possession of alcohol, you may face up to a $500 fine, 30–180 days of your driver's license being suspended, eight to 40 hours of community service, and mandatory alcohol-awareness classes. A minor in possession begets major punishment.
Any amount of beer, wine or liquor found in the system of or possessed by a minor can trigger these penalties. This is known as the Zero Tolerance law in Texas. A second or third offense can lead to suspension of your driver license for 60 to 180 days. If you’re 17 or older, you also can be fined as much as $2,000 and go to jail for up to 180 days for a third offense. Time to ditch that lucky beer bottle cap from your key chain!
If you're a parent then be a good example for your children: don’t drink and drive. Remind your children to call you if they’re ever in an uncomfortable situation. Teach them never to get in a car with someone who’s been drinking. Also, teach the people who they're getting into cars with to not drink while they drive.
Furnishing alcohol to someone under 21 can lead to a $4,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Selling alcohol to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor, which can bring a $4,000 fine and land the seller a year in jail.


5 comments:

  1. Teenage drinking is a community problem, and it is the responsibility of the whole community to help solve it. Legal remedies aside, the community can initiate information drives to educate the youth about the hazards of drinking and driving. It is also a good idea to launch community solidarity programs to inspire teenagers to become model social citizens.

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  2. I think that teenagers these days must really be properly supervised by their parents. You know, at their age, they really love to explore things. Yes, it’s okay, but they must still be responsible for their actions. That’s why parents must give them the proper guidance, so that their children will learn the appropriate behavior and keep themselves away from the influence of alcohol and drugs, and to protect them from accidents.

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  3. For me, driving responsibly and safely is one way of telling my children how to be mature. At their age, they must be mature enough to take on the responsibility of driving. I think they are smart enough to listen to their parent’s advice. There’s really no problem with having drinks with their buddies, for as long as they know their limits, and that gives us the peace of mind, knowing that our children are safe.

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  4. Drinking and driving is absolutely a no-no. Not only should teenagers be reminded of this, but also, everyone else who’s drunk and still insists on driving. There are a lot of cases which really prove that drunk drivers are more likely to get into an accident than those who aren’t. Consider it as your first lesson. Follow the law. Don’t drink and drive.

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  5. Just stop and look at the high statistics of vehicular accidents, wouldn’t you then at least consider driving responsibly? I think by pondering about those incidents, you will somewhat try your best not to get yourself in a car accident. You can really prevent it by not letting yourself drive when you’re drunk. Though, if you really plan on getting drunk, at least have a designated driver among your friends or take a cab.

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