STATISTICS

National statistics
The number of fatalities in teen drunk-driving crashes has declined 11 percent since 2000 and 64 percent since 1982, going from 4,214 fatalities in 1982 to 1,536 fatalities in 2004. There were 2,600 fewer teen impaired-driving fatalities in 2004 than in 1982.

Ohio statistics
The number of fatalities in teen drunk-driving crashes in Ohio has declined 24 percent since 2000 and 70 percent since 1982, going from 155 fatalities in 1982 to 47 fatalities in 2004. There were 108 fewer teen impaired-driving fatalities in 2004 than in 1982.

Some pertinent facts on underage drinking:

• ·        Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by high school seniors, and its use appears to be increasing along with the use of tobacco and marijuana. In 1998, 52% of high school seniors consumed any alcohol in the last 30 days, compared to 26% who used any illicit drug in the last 30 days. (1)
• ·        High school students lack essential knowledge about alcohol and its effects. Nationwide, an estimated 5.6 million junior and senior high school students are unsure of the legal age to purchase alcohol; one third do not understand the intoxicating effects of alcohol; and more than 2.6 million do not know a person can die from an overdose of alcohol. A projected 259,000 students think that wine coolers or beer cannot get you drunk, cannot make you sick, or cannot do as much harm as other beverages. (2)

• Due to heavy or binge drinking, nearly one out of every five teenagers (16%) has experienced "black outs," after which they could not remember what happened the previous evening. (3)

• Alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among persons ages 10 to 24: motor-vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicide, and suicide. (4)

• Girls are beginning to drink at younger ages. In the 1960s, 7% of 10- to 14-year-old females used alcohol; by the early 1990's, that figure had risen to 31%. (5)

• More than 67% of young people who start drinking before the age of 15 will try an illicit drug. Children who drink are 7.5 times more likely to use any illicit drug, more than 22 times more likely to use marijuana, and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than children who never drank. (6)

• Of the estimated 5.4 million junior and high school students who have ever consumed five or more drinks in a row, 39% say they drink alone; 58% drink when they are upset; 30% drink when they are bored; and 37% drink to feel high. (7)

• Approximately 88% of 10th graders and 75% of 8th graders report that it's very easy or fairly easy to get alcohol. (8)

• The typical American young person will see 100,000 beer commercials before he or she turns 18. (9)

• The total cost of alcohol use by youth is $58,043 billion per year, the equivalent of $216.22 for every man, woman and child in the United States. (10)
  
  
  

Liquor Violations

• If you give alcohol to anyone under 21 years of age, and he or she in turn
  injures or kills someone or damages property, you can be sued.
  
  
• If a person under the age of 21 helps to pay for alcohol, even if the buyer is 21 years old, it is against the law.
  
  
• Legally, parents can give alcohol to their own children if it is consumed in their presence.
  
  
• A person must be 18 years of age to sell beer or alcohol in sealed containers.
  
  
• Champagne, sparkling wine, or drinks mixed with soda get people intoxicated at a faster rate.
  
  
• No sale of beer or intoxicating liquor may be made to an intoxicated person.
  
  
• There are limits on "happy hours," such as: no two drinks for the price of one; no discount prices after 9:00 p.m.; and no unlimited number of servings for a fixed price during a set period of time.
  
  
• It is illegal for any person to possess an open container of beer, wine or
  liquor in a public place.
• No one of any age may drink beer, wine or intoxicating liquor in a motor vehicle: automobiles, recreational vehicles, boat, riding lawn mowers, etc.
  
  
• An individual using a fake driver license to buy beer or intoxicating liquor may lose driving privileges for one year.
  
  
• An individual who lends his/her license to another for the purchase of beer or intoxicating liquor may also lose driving privileges for one year and possibly be fined up to $1,000 and/or be sentenced up to six months in jail.

Click here for the Investigative Unit Complaint Referral Form.

RESOURCES: [1]Johnston LD, O'Malley PM, Bachman JG. National Survey Results on Drug Use from the Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1998; Volume I: Secondary School Students. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse; in preparation.  2 Office of Inspector General. Youth and Alcohol: A National Survey. Drinking Habits, Access, Attitudes, and Knowledge. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; June 1991.  3 Summary Findings American Academy of Pediatrics Survey: Teen Alcohol Consumption, American Academy of Pediatrics, September 1998. 4 Kann, L., et al. (2000). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance -- United States, 1999. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 49(SS05): 1-96. 5 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse Among Women in the U.S. United States Department of Health and Human Services, 1996. 6Cigarettes, Alcohol, Marijuana: Gateways to Illicit Drug Use, Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University, 1994. 7Office of Inspector General. Youth and Alcohol: A National Survey. Drinking Habits, Access, Attitudes, and Knowledge. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; June 1991.  8 Johnston LD, O'Malley PM, Bachman JG. National Survey Results on Drug Use from the Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1998; Volume I: Secondary School Students. Rockville, MD: National Institute on Drug Abuse; in preparation. 9 Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Jam: The Performance Magazine. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; n.d.  10Costs of Underage Drinking, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1999.