OC HIGH / STUDENT NEWS & VIEWS : One Drink Too Many

Now there’s even more reason not to drink and drive. Motorists under age 21 who drive after drinking even small amounts of alcohol could lose their driver’s licenses for a year under a bill signed into law last week by Gov. Pete Wilson. “When the equivalent of an entire high school class is killed every two to three weeks and 12 teens a day are injured due to alcohol-related accidents, we cannot wait any longer to send this message: You use, you lose,” Wilson said.

The new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, makes it illegal for someone under 21 to drive with a blood alcohol level of .01% or more. Under current law, motorists 18 and over can legally drive with a blood alcohol level under .08%. For 16- and 17-year-old drivers the cutoff is .05%.