Underage drinking in California results in adult-age penalties

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Driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) is never a good idea on California’s highways. Thousands of people die every year in crashes caused by drunk drivers. Many of these deaths are teens and young adults under 21.

Youth does not spare you from harsh consequences

Underage drinking and driving in many states is a criminal offense. If a person is under 21 and charged with DUI, the charges can be severe, including prison time. A person convicted of this crime will often get harsher punishment if the blood alcohol content supersedes the legal limit. Driving is a privilege that the drunk driver will unwittingly forfeit in exchange for getting behind the wheel in an inebriated state. Furthermore, he may never be able to expunge the charges on his criminal record. In those cases, the charges will permanently be on his record and may irreparably impact his economic future and quality of life.

Sobering up to reality

Being convicted of DUI is costly, both on a personal level and an economic one. A drunk driver may lose his job, particularly due to the amount of time he may be absent from work while wading through the court system. This will be exacerbated by the amount of money he will shell out in court and legal fees. There will be the added expense of public transportation since he will lose his driving privileges. His license will be suspended, even if temporarily. If there is no jail time, he may be required to do community service, attend education classes or complete a rehab program.

Alcohol impairs judgment. Despite the high number of yearly deaths and public service announcements showing permanent disabilities resulting from DUI crashes, alcohol fools people into thinking they will get home safely. Statistics tell another truth.

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