According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37 people are killed every single day as a result of a DUI-related car accident. Those 37 people are someone's son or daughter, someone's spouse, someone's sibling, and most heart-wrenching of all, statistics do NOT say they are all adults. Many of these young lives lost are those of innocent children who have never been given the chance to live their lives or decide for themselves how they want their future to be. Someone got behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence and snatched that decision away from them. This is not the right that any one human should have over another human, the ability to decide whether they live or die, especially in such a manner. But we can't wait until the disease of alcoholism takes root to try to make a difference. The saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is applicable when considering how to address this very serious issue. There are numerous programs in existence already spearheaded by the NHTSA geared toward combatting this issue such as "Ride/Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" but let's face it, cops can't be everywhere all the time. The evidence is right there in those statistics. We, as individuals, must do our parts to help our brave men and women in uniform protect our roadway. If you are having a party and you are serving alcohol, take your guest's keys BEFORE providing drinks. If they are unwilling to give up their keys, they don't drink. If you are on the highway and see suspicious driving habits being exhibited by other drivers, call 9-1-1. You may just save the life of an innocent child. Be the family member who is both willing to go get someone who's had a few too many AND call the police if they won't accept a ride home. In both cases, you've kept your loved one safe and anyone they could have potentially killed along the way. But the problem starts even earlier than this. Educating yourself about the warning signs of alcoholism being shown by your family member is the first step in acquiring help. A strong support system that will aid them as they fight their condition will increase their chances of beating it. Finally, this will stop the cycle of alcohol abuse in the next generation because when parents get help and recover, children are less likely to grow up to become addicts. And there's your ounce of prevention! It is not just the responsibility of law enforcement to keep us safe, on the roadway or anywhere. It's each of our responsibilities to remain vigilant and do what we can in any small measure to protect ourselves and each other. Only then can those statistics become less and less because, seriously, one person killed foolishly as a result of a drunk driver is one too many!

I read a quote once that said, "a man who works with his hands is a laborer, a man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman, but a man who works with his hands, his mind AND his heart is an artist"; I'd like to be the third kind of man!