Most Underage Drinking Wrongful Deaths Not From Car Accidents

As personal injury attorneys here in Florida, we often pass along news involving reductions in the causes of accidents. However, as parents we occasionally come across information that meets that need, but includes other concerning revelations. A recent study from Mothers Against Drunk Driving sadly meets that exception. The study revealed that more than sixty-five percent of all underage deaths attributed to alcohol consumption, happen due to reasons other than car accidents.

The study, which was based upon statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, revealed that about thirty percent of alcohol involved deaths of minors happened in car, truck or motorcycle accidents. Sadly, the publicity for the causes of the vast majority of underage drinking deaths, including to self-inflicted wounds, murders and alcohol sickness, are too often overlooked by the media; resulting in parents overlooking these other deadly effects of underage drinking.

The study demonstrates the need for parents and children having frequent conversations about the dangers associated with underage drinking, and to begin those discussions early in adolescence. As other studies demonstrate that almost ten million adolescents drink alcohol each month, it is clear that underage drinking is a significant problem.

Given the prevalence and difficulties associated with peer pressure, we can only hope that parents and schools devote additional resources towards educating minors to the many dangers of excessive alcohol use.