LETTERS: TEEN-AGE DRUNK DRIVING IS BIG ISSUE

To the editor:

I am 17 years old, and I am writing about an issue that I think is very important. I think that teen-age drunk driving is a very big problem today. It has become very popular because it is an escape. Many weekends I have spent in my car driving down back roads to escape from my problems. It is a release for many teen-agers, but it is the wrong way to get rid of stress and problems. There have been too many wrecks due to this, whether they were fatal or non-fatal.

I have had one drunk-driving wreck, and I am lucky I am still sitting here today. My best friend wasn't so luck. He was killed in an alcohol-related crash. Every year, the number of crashes rises. In recent years, alcohol-related fatal accidents have jumped from an average of 850 to 3,500 people killed. This rate is astounding.

I think that something should be done about this problem. I think it is pretty sad that 90 percent of the obituaries in small towns are either someone dying in their elder years or teen-agers dying in automobile accidents due to alcohol.

SHANE SHEPHERD

Cape Girardeau