Alcohol Restriction Lowers Teenage Death Rates

In Oct. 2009, San Gabriel High School alumna Vicky Chen was killed by a drunk driver as she and a friend tried to fix a flat tire on the freeway.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 350,000 people between the ages 15 to 19 received medical treatment from car accidents. Of those 350,000, 500 were killed in 2008. Approximately 26 percent of the incidents were due to driving under the influence (DUI) with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of  at least .08 percent.
Actions, such as enforcing the legal drinking age, set by law enforcement have decreased DUI fatality rates. The under-aged DUI tragedy rate has decreased by 60 percent since the 1960s, as shown in trends by the National Institution of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
In Alhambra, sobriety check points are done twelve times a year, in addition to weekly radar trailers.
Another initiative, the Zero Tolerance policy delivers consequences for people driving with any BAC of more than zero percent, disapproving of any consumed alcohol amount and vehicle operation.
However, students feel that the laws are certainly helping prevent drunk driving.
“Although [the age 21 law] might not eliminate all risks, it definitely allows minors to mature for a few years before letting them choose whether or not to endanger their lives by drinking and driving,” said sophomore Jimena Jaramillo.