KNOW THE FACTS ON TEENAGE
ALCOHOL DRUGS & DRIVING

 

Drinking and driving don't mix. It's the NUMBER ONE killer of teen-agers today.

Remember: a car becomes a lethal weapon, just like a gun, in the hands of a drunk driver.

LEGAL DRINKING AGE

If you are under 21 and drinking, you are already breaking the law. Ohio's legal drinking
age is 21 for everyone. Don't compound your problems by drinking and driving or riding
with friends that do.

THE PRICE

If you are convicted of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol you could lose
your driver's license until age 21.

Don't forget to bring extra cash for court costs($250-$500), attorney fees ($750.00-$2,500),
court ordered rehabilitation program ($250), reinstatement fee ($125), and cost of insurance
(3 to 10 times your current premium) once your suspension is up. The total cost could be as
high as $3,375 plus increased insurance.

OFFENSE FOR 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS

A new law authorizes police to file charges against 16 and 17 year old drivers who have blood
alcohol concentration of at least .02 but less than .10 of one percent.

If you weigh 120 pounds and drink one oz. of 100 proof liquor, or 4 oz. of table wine, or one
12 oz can of beer during one hour, your blood alcohol concentration would be .03 percent.

The results are a 60 day license suspension or suspension until the offender is 18, whichever
is shorter. Municipal courts may also commit the offender to as many as 5 days in a detention
home.

USING A FAKE I.D. TO PURCHASE ALCOHOL

A person under the age of 21 who presents a false, fictitious, or altered I.D. or driver's license
when purchasing beer or liquor would receive the following penalties:

First Offense :MANDATORY fine of $250-$1,000 and jail time up to 6 months.

Second Offense: MANDATORY fine of $500-$1,000 and jail time up to 6 months and possible
license suspension up to 60 days.

Third and Subsequent offenses: MANDATORY fine of $500-$1,000 and jail time up to 6 months.
90 day license suspension with an option of community service and a license suspension until age 21.

The law also establishes specific felony penalties for manufacture, transfer, sale, or distribution of
fictitious I.D. cards and drivers' licenses.

USING OR POSSESSING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL AT SCHOOL

If you are suspended or expelled from school for using or possessing drugs or alcohol, the
superintendent may notify the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to suspend your drivers license.

OTHER DRUGS

It is as dangerous to drive under the influence of other drugs as it is to drive under the influence
of alcohol. Getting high on drugs can make you just as dangerous and out-of-control behind
the wheel. Consider these facts:

Marijuana: This drug produces a feeling which makes it difficult to make a quick decision, judge
distances and speed, and causes slow, disconnected thoughts even hours after the high is gone.

Stimulants: Driving under this influence makes it difficult to concentrate on the road or
make rational judgments. When the high is gone,the user crashes with feelings of extreme
tiredness and depression.

Sedatives: Time reflexes and coordination disappear and a sense of danger needed to drive
defensively is removed

Hallucinogens: Makes the user see, hear, smell and feel things that aren't really there. Thoughts
of panic could occur which cause total loss of control.

Mixing alcohol and other drugs is really taking a risk. When you do this, you are multiplying the
effects of both drugs, and that can mean worse effects and even sudden death.