Howdy folks!

Not long ago while in the library I noticed a book entitled “Drinking and Driving In America, Its Victims, Its Cost, Its Potential Solutions,” written by Joe Wisinski.

It is a book I feel everyone should read.

The author asks the question, “Why is there little outrage over DUI-related injuries and deaths?”

In great detail, the author sets out to prove the reasons.

The goal of the book is to increase the awareness of this senseless and preventable slaughter on the roads where many victims have been mercilessly killed or maimed for life.

His son was seriously injured in 2004 in a DUI-related crash.

As the car his son was driving approached an intersection, a drinking driver ran a red light, hitting his car on the driver’s side front door.

His son suffered a compound fracture of his left leg, a broken hip and a broken collarbone.

He spent 10 days in the hospital and months in recovery.

He still has a tennis-ball size hole in his lower leg where the bone broke through, and he’ll have a rod in his leg and a plate in his hip for the rest of his life.

A passenger in the drinking driver’s car, the driver’s brother, suffered an even more devastating injury — he became a quadriplegic.

This crash, however, didn’t stop the drinking driver.

Seven months later, she again drove under the influence of alcohol and caused another crash.

Incredibly, she was on her way to visit her brother — the one who had become a quadriplegic because of her previous drinking and driving crash.

Just as incredibly, she had her 9-year-old daughter in the car with her.

The girl was thrown free of the crash, but, fortunately, was not seriously injured, but her mother eventually spent eight years in state prison for causing the two crashes while driving under the influence.

Meanwhile, the drinking driver’s brother lived as a quadriplegic for two years before dying from his injuries.

So, one life was lost, eight years were taken away from another, and his son’s physical condition permanently damaged, all because a 38-year-old woman chose to drink a few beers and then drive.

My question in regards to all this is why are there more and more “events” that can’t seem to do anything without the presence of alcoholic beverages?

Each week, I pick up the newspapers and find there is yet one more place having a “getogether,” dance or party which includes the drinking of alcohol around our area.

I know some of these people will be driving home after drinking.

Folks, I believe this is something that should alarm us as it is detrimental to our health and society.

I pray it will change, especially in Charlotte County.

Until next time, my friends!

Alice Russell, also known as “Me Me,” resides in the Randolph/Saxe area. She can be reached at letstalkherbs@gmail.com.