Letter: Save young lives; stop driving drunk

Within the past five years, many Yuba City residents - including several teens - have lost their lives in an accident involving alcohol or drugs.

It is common knowledge that this type of tragedy regularly occurs throughout the United States. However, the fact that within a town as diverse as Yuba City people can wake up and learn that they have lost a loved one due to a DUI accident is simply terrible.

The ignorance, selfishness, and lack of judgment of those who choose to operate a vehicle while intoxicated have formed wounds within the hearts of many, which, sadly, will never heal. It is, therefore, our duty as both Yuba City residents and moral people to educate the public on the risks of drunken driving.

Whether it be having an educational fair which simulates the "15 Minutes" scenario shown to Yuba City High students or simply standing in front of local stores while passing out pamphlets with facts and statistics regarding the risks of drunken driving, we must do our best to get the "it can't happen to me" mentality out of everyone's mind.

We, as a city, must learn to function as a single unit when attempting to accomplish a goal which saves young lives. This is indeed a necessity because in America today's youth are tomorrow's future, and in order to succeed we must not only realize this fact, but act upon it as well.

Ashiv Sharma
Yuba City
University of California, Davis, student