MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Of course drinking and driving is not worth the tragic consequences it can produce. But there are times when people try to rationalize it in our minds. "I want to sleep at home tonight." "I don't want to pay for a cab." "I want to go get food." "I want to meet up with someone."

These "wants" are not worth it. They are not worth getting into an accident and seriously hurting someone else or yourself. Not to mention the jail time and fines that you will also be facing.

In 2011, 9,878 people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes, an average of one death every 53 minutes. A terrible statistic, but consider that in 1982 there were 26,173 deaths due to drinking and driving.

In almost 30 years that horrific statistic has been reduced by over 60% because Americans have come to terms with the severity of the consequences of the decision to drink and drive.

Hopefully the statistic continues to drop as more and more people realize that it truly isn't worth it.