Knowing the effects of alcohol on our body is important to know before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. One of the main problems is that of compensating the ability to drive once alcohol has been ingested. Another major problem is minors driving under the influence. The main reason this topic means so much to me is because a friend of mine was killed in a drunk driving accident during my junior year of high school. Since the accident, my opinion on drunk driving and alcohol in general has diminished due to all the problems that come with it. Oklahoma has developed a set of guidelines for determining how much alcohol you can drink and still be able to drive afterwards. The amount of alcohol consumed cannot be more than one glass of any type of drink, for example a beer or a glass of alcohol is the maximum amount anyone should have to stay below the limit if she drives. The state of Oklahoma states that your “blood alcohol level must be 0.08% or less to be considered legally safe to drive.” CITATION Sta13 l 1033 (State of Oklahoma, 2013) With the guidelines stating that “no open containers are permitted in the vehicle for the driver or passengers, if any person is under twenty-one years of age and if you are an ex-offender, it doesn’t matter whether you are over the drinking limit or not, you will go to prison with a heavier sentence.” QUOTE The13 l 1033 (The State's Voice on Highway Safety, 2013) “In the United States, where drunk driving is one of the most common types of arrests made by police, the number of deaths in of alcohol-related accidents is roughly the same as the number of homicides.” CITATION Mic06 l 1033 (Michael S. Scott, 2006) This article I was reading goes on to explain a number of opinions to resolve the issue, it also goes into...... middle of paper...... t It really pains me to see people continue to drink and drive after all the pain and loss our city has endured because of it. I still think the best way to show support against drunk driving is through word of mouth. Reverse peer pressure is something I've thought about; tell your friends before they make the decision that you think they are idiots or that something might make them stop. I always like to tell people and post on social media when a major holiday is coming up that if anyone needs a sober driver at any time of the day, be sure to call me or another friend of mine, and that we would be more than happy to pick you up. Knowing that drunk driving will never stop as long as we continue to make alcohol is a frightening fact, but our ability as a community to help prevent and better control the problem is very important to our future..