Drunk Driving: Addressing this Health Issue in Society

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- The Known causes of this health issue, - How does our current society view this problem? What beliefs exist about this issue? - Compare your chosen controversial topic to another country -

In reference to the known causes of drunk driving, some of these entail alcoholism, binge drinking, and even casual drinking as well as the fact that countries such as the United States are more amenable toward drinking in contrast to countries such as Sweden. Drinking culture is pervasively accepted throughout the United States, and although drunk driving is illegal, it is a commonality throughout the United States with every city and state impacted by this behavior. There is even a belief that drunk driving is some type of rite of passage, although this is not proven, it could be inferred as a result of the amount of people in the United States who indulge in drunk driving, which in Sweden is not feasible because of their approach toward drunk driving and the societal response to drunk drivers.

The causes of drunk driving are rooted in reckless and dangerous behavior despite the fact that people are fully aware of the deaths, injuries, and tragedies that have occurred as a result of this behavior. One reason that researchers have cited for the high numbers of drunk driving arrests, deaths, and injuries is because the United States has a BAC limit that is much higher than countries such as Sweden. In the U.S. the Blood Alcohol Content is .08, which permits people to consume more than one alcoholic beverage and stay within the limit of not being considered legally drunk. Some researchers have touted the theory that these types of lax laws encourage drunk driving because people erroneously believe that if they only drink a few drinks, they'll be capable of still driving even though other countries and researchers have long recognized that .05 BAC can lead to drunkenness. Therefore, people in the U.S. are over the limit at .05 but are legally able to continue driving without any concern for arrest.

In countries such as Sweden, the limit is .00, which means that even one alcoholic drink would result in fines, arrest, and even the destruction of the person's vehicle if they are repeat offenders along with a loss of their driving privileges. In Sweden, there is no tolerance for drinking and driving, and although this is important, it's even more important that the culture within Sweden frowns upon drunk driving and people who engage in this are ostracized and social outcasts. Because it's virtually impossible to "police" all citizens at all times, drunk drivers have an extremely high probability of not being caught for drunk driving. Therefore, society has to shift toward a different belief system within the United States in regard to the drinking culture that is promoted from youth and beyond. In Sweden, it is not tolerated as a culture, so people are less inclined to take the risk of drunk driving because of the impact it would have on their career, family, and standing within society.

Sweden is one of the countries with the lowest rate of alcohol abuse and drunk driving in the world, but this wasn't always the case. The country decided to adopt new laws, higher taxation on alcohol, and strict regulation that only allows hard liquor ...