Drunk or impaired driving killed nearly 18,000 people in 2004.

That's one person every 32 minutes.

That makes it everyone's problem.

In a story written by Holly Edwards, a staff writer for www.thefreelibrary.com, reportedly 4 out of 5 Santa Clarita High School students have had alcohol at one time. The statistic is slightly higher than the national average, perhaps brought on by a mixture of peer pressure, acceptance of underage drinking, and availability of alcohol. To read the complete story, click here.

Underage Drinking is a severe problem here in Santa Clarita; with kids having too much time and money in their hands, more and more kids are experimenting with alcohol. Here are some facts, stories, and prevention measures compiled from both the Ad Council and other educational websites.

The Facts

- Alcohol-related crashes kill every 22 minutes.

- One of every 50 drivers is drunk. (This number increases to one out of 10 on weekend nights).

- Drunk drivers are responsible for 50% of highway fatalities.

- About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash some time in their lives.