Personal Injury Blog

Teens Who Abuse Alcohol at High Risk for Drunk Driving

February 24th, 2012
car accident attorneys

A new study has disturbing news for parents and car accident attorneys who are concerned about the increasing rates of underage drinking.

A new study has disturbing news for parents and car accident attorneys who are concerned about the increasing rates of underage drinking.

The report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finds that teenagers being treated for substance abuse problems are much more likely to battle alcohol addiction than drug abuse. The researchers analyzed data from 2009.  The data involved about 374,000 people between the age of 18 and 24.  All of these people had been treated for substance dependence.  Most of the persons admitted for treatment were young adults who were not enrolled in college.  About 12,000 of the persons, who had to be treated for substance abuse, were enrolled in college.

Nearly 50% of the college students, who were being treated for substance abuse and addiction, admitted that they had problems with alcohol use.  In contrast, the number of students who admitted they had problems with drug abuse was 30.6%.

According to the researchers, this indicates that alcohol plays a much more destructive role in teen lives than drug use.  That doesn’t mean that drug use isn’t widespread among college students.  The researchers found that marijuana use is a significant problem among persons both in the college-going crowd as well as those not enrolled in any college.  Marijuana accounted for about 30.9% of college students undergoing treatment for substance abuse, and 30% of the non-college students being treated for substance abuse.  However, when the researchers analyzed the data for other kinds of drugs, they found that the treatment rates are much lower for those with drug abuse problems, compared to alcohol.

The report has been a fascinating read for car accident lawyers, because underage drinking is such a huge driving factor in motor vehicle accidents involving persons of this age group.  Teenagers and young adults are at some of the highest risks of accidents, mainly because of their inexperience behind the wheel.  However, there are a number of other factors that increase a teenager’s risk of an accident.  Alcohol use is one of those factors.

The law prohibits persons below the age of 21 from possessing or imbibing alcohol.  However, as any car accident lawyer knows, underage drinking is widely prevalent in the United States.  As the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows, teenagers are not just drinking alcohol, but drinking in quantities large enough to lead to addiction.

Posted by
Robert Reeves
at 1:05 pm: No comments

Robert Reeves+ is a California Personal injury attorney.

Leave a reply



Share This Page With A Friend
Find The Reeves Law Group On

Latest Review

The Reeves Law Group
Excellent, highly recommended

"I was very pleased with my overall experience with The Reeves Law Group. The staff was friendly and helpful, and my attorney was skillful and aggressive in getting an excellent settlement recovery for me, including reimbursement for my lost income."

 - Camilla C. Castagna 5.0

Free Case Review800-644-8000

Contact Us

Name
Phone
Email
Tell us about your case

To avoid spam, please align the slider under the green arrow. *

Client Testimonials

  • "I would recommend The Reeves Law Group to my family and friends for attorney representation of any bodily injury claims they might have..."

    — C.O., Los Angeles

  • "I cannot thank this firm enough. The attorneys and support staff were caring, attentive and diligent at every step of the way and produced an outstanding result in the case."

    — M.N., Orange County

  • "I am very happy with $981,932.68 The Reeves Law Group obtained for me for injuries I suffered in an automobile accident. The legal representation provided by the Reeves staff was excellent..."

    — G.D., Ventura County

  • "I appreciate the level of excellence and compassion put forth in my case. This law firm made what was stressful in the beginning a non-stressful case in the end. Thank you!"

    — J.H., Riverside

  • "I was very happy with attorney Pakiz of your office, who worked very diligently and was very courteous with me. I would not hesitate to call on or recommend your office in the future."

    — T.M., Orange County

  • "I would refer The Reeves Law Group to friends and family."

    — J.K., San Diego County

  • "I found the attorneys to be compassionate for my needs and tenacious against the insurance company representatives, while working to achieve an outstanding settlement result."

    — F.H., Los Angeles County

  • "Dear Mr. Reeves: Your representation and guidance during the pendency of my injury case are very much appreciated..."

    — A.C., Santa Ana

  • "I received great service and am very happy with the way your firm handled my case."

    — J.F., Orange County

  • "Great job on the whole process. It was a fast process, and there was always someone for me to talk to."

    — D. H., Rialto

  • "We came to you from another law firm that didn't help. Your offices made us feel like we were your only clients. Thank you so much for the terrific service!"

    — R.L. and E.L., Orange County

  • "Great job - great damages recovery! Thank you Mr. Reeves and staff for quality legal representation and results in my personal injury case."

    — M.I., Riverside County

Helpful Links

Our Blog Over 3,000 Articles Daily articles on Personal injury news & analysis
Click Here ►
Our Guarantee If there is no recovery you don't pay a fee
Learn More ►
Video Library A helpful resource for your injury case
Click Here ►