Driving under the influence: our parents have told us not to, D.A.R.E. tried to warn us, but it still happens nearly every day. My family and friends have suffered so much loss due to others who made the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking. I've heard people say it would be okay because they only had a few beers, and weren't feeling anything. It is definitely not okay.

I'm fairly certain that everyone has experienced road rage at some point in their driving career. If people don't know how to drive when they're sober, how do you think they'll do when their judgment is compromised and their reaction time is slowed? Statistics show that around 27 people die each day because of drunk driving.

Even though it is illegal to drive while intoxicated, the fact is that it happens. If a ticket or jail time aren't enough to make you think before driving home, imagine how you would feel if you killed someone else with your reckless actions. Other people don't have to be in your vehicle to get injured; when you aren't focused on operating a heavy machine, you put everyone around you at risk.

Think about how you would feel if you got a phone call at 4 a.m. saying the person you love most in the world has been injured. It would completely crush you. That is how your family feels about you, whether you know it or not. I can guarantee that your parents would prefer you call them at any hour to pick you up than to see their baby in a hospital bed or behind bars.

None of these reasons are enough to make you think twice about driving drunk? If you have pets, imagine how they would feel to never see their owner come home to them. They won't understand and will feel abandoned. Your brother or sister will cry every single night for years because they miss you. Your parents will never be the same. Your friends won't leave their rooms, and may even turn to alcohol to numb the pain.

It isn't worth it. There are so many other options than getting in that car. Even though they may be the hard decisions, it's part of maturing and taking responsibility for your actions. Every day I'm hopeful that someone else out there will make the right choice.