Life and Death is in the power of our hands.

Life and death are in the power of our hands. Many people have died at the hands of someone’s decisions. Sometimes, we make decisions without knowing that they affect someone else’s destiny. When we indulge in pleasure to escape reality, we hurt our loved ones. We make decisions that can lead to death. Those selfish decisions have killed innocent lives. Babies have not made it to toddler age because of someone’s decision. Toddlers have not made it to preschool age because of someone’s decisions. Preschool age has not made it to school age because of someone’s decision. School ages have not made it to adolescence because of someone’s decision. Men’s and women’s destiny has flashed before their eyes, because of a drunk driver. I aim to make a change in my community to ensure that innocent lives are not ending rapidly.

As a college student, I plan to reduce drunk driving in my community by advocating for drunk driving education, mental health resources for alcoholic drinkers, and prohibiting alcohol on campus. Drunk driving is driving while under the influence. It is the leading cause of automobile accidents and deaths. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “in 2021, the highest percentage of drunk drivers (with BACs of.08 g/dL or higher) were the 21-to 24-year-old age group and 25-to-34-year old age groups. Understanding the cause of drunk driving will help us take better steps to reduce it. We can do this by targeting the age group, which is typically college students. By targeting college students, we can get closer to achieving our mission. Educating college students will allow them to make better decisions.

Educating college students will help spread awareness about what drunk driving is. I would create a presentation about what drunk driving is and how it can harm individuals’ lives. This presentation will include important information. I would like to present this presentation to students so that they are well aware of the consequences of drunk driving. I will inform students that in Illinois, drunk drivers can face up to one year in prison and will be fined 2,500 dollars for their first offense. If the driver is caught a second time, they have to serve five days in jail and do community service. If the driver kills someone, they have to serve 14 to 28 years in prison. It’s an excellent idea to present to college students because they will most likely spread this information to their friends, and they will be less likely to be drunk drivers. I will also advocate for flyers to be posted around my community so that citizens will be constantly reminded of the dangers of drunk driving. I will advocate for mental health resources to be provided for people who drink alcohol.

There is a higher chance of drunk drivers swerving into different lanes because their bodies feel more relaxed from the alcohol. Alcohol can lead to alcohol dependence. Many people who drink alcohol don’t know if they will get addicted or not. Individuals rely on it to escape reality. There are better and safer ways to have fun and manage our emotions. There is a higher rate of car crashes because drivers are not driving in their right state of mind, meaning that they may be seeing things that aren’t there. According to a 2022 drunk driving statistic, “37% of fatalities involved alcohol.” This piece of evidence illustrates how a large portion of people lose their lives every year because they choose to drive under the influence. Alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen, and although it relaxes the brain after a drink, it actually does more harm. Alcohol can alter our brains and lead to negative feelings such as anger, depression, or anxiety, which can lead to alcohol dependence. Providing mental health resources will teach students about healthy alternatives for their mental health. Having counselors and providing therapy can also help reduce the number of alcoholic drinkers. Teaching these students how to properly deal with their feelings and emotions will help them in the long term. Eliminating alcohol on campus will also reduce drunk driving.

During college, many students like to attend events such as parties. Sometimes these parties can be on campus or off campus. There are many colleges that allow students to have alcohol on campus if they are over the age of 21. I disagree with this, and I do think that this plays a factor in drunk driving. If college students host events and parties on campus and invite their peers. In a situation where alcohol is present, they put their peers at risk if they have to drive back home. Alcohol should be prohibited on all college campuses. In doing this, we will be targeting the age group that statistics show is involved in drunk driving.

In conclusion, drunk driving can be reduced in my community by educating college students. Providing mental health resources and prohibiting alcohol on campus for students and visitors. Spreading awareness about this issue will make students less likely to be drunk drivers.. As a result, this will reduce the amount of drunk driving and the number of automobile deaths. Lastly, if provided with mental health resources, students will find better alternatives to coping with hard times in their lives.