On average, 14 teenagers die in drunk driving accidents. This adds up to 5110 deaths of teenagers per year. I found that to be a shocking total, comparable to the number of people who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11th. Driving accidents are the worst possible outcomes from drinking. The number of people who die of alcohol poisoning or alcohol related diseases are nothing compared to deaths in alcohol related car accidents. .
As of now I have not been directly affected by this, but I have had to deal with it in a way. In grade school one of my closest friends lost his Uncle in an alcohol related car accident. He was not even the one drunk. I never met my friend's uncle but my friend was very close to him and it was a hard time for him and his family. This was a huge influence on me in the way I think about drinking. .
I have heard words in defense of drinking such as "You are not hurting anyone else by drinking" This can be true when done in moderation, but that is not usually the case with the people I hear this from. This means that drinking alcohol is just for fun and having fun can't hurt anyone else. The fact is you hurt many people when you drink excessively. There is the possibility of hurting someone, whether it be by saying something hurtful to a person or causing a car accident. You can also hurt yourself by drinking in excess. So even if you do not hurt anyone else, it is not a good idea.
If anyone ever said that there are less drugs and alcohol at Benet than in public schools, they are wrong. Of course there exceptions to this, but you will have these problems at any school, including catholic and private schools. I have been around public schools and there is not any more pressure to do drugs there than there is here at Benet. Marijuana seems to be the most popular drug besides alcohol right now. It is very easy to get access to, and some kids do it just for the kick of it because it is illegal.
