On behalf of Law Office of Steven Haney posted in DUI on Saturday, May 11, 2013

May and June are traditionally months during which teens all across America are cited for various criminal infractions involving alcohol. Prom night and graduation night are key dates during which local law enforcement are especially vigilant about policing teen gatherings for underage drinking and teen drivers for signs of driving under the influence (DUI).

The commonsense answer to this problem is simply abstaining from drinking altogether. However, teens often fail to use their commonsense. According to a recently released survey conducted by an organization known as Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), not only do 25 percent of teens admit that they have driven while intoxicated but a substantial percentage also truly believe that this decision does not affect their ability to remain safe behind the wheel.

It is critical that both parents and teens educate themselves about the consequences of both DUI specifically and underage drinking generally. Only by fully understanding what will occur when you are convicted of these offenses can you make informed decisions about breaking or respecting the law.

DUI and underage drinking convictions can impair your ability to obtain higher education and employment. These kinds of convictions can follow you around for decades. In addition, once you become enmeshed within the criminal justice system, any subsequent infractions could be impacted by these earlier convictions.

Please, for your sake or your children’s sake, educate yourself about teen drinking and its consequences this prom season. Your future self will almost certainly thank you for taking the time to do so.

Source: KKCO-11News.com, “1 in 4 teens admits driving under the influence,” May 1, 2013