Every 39 minutes someone loses his or her life because of a drunken driver.

Drinking is the highlight of many people’s weekends, especially for college students who look forward to unwinding after a week of homework, studying and work.

However, one night of drinking and fun can change lives in just seconds.

It’s not a question of whether you are legally intoxicated.

It’s a question of whether or not it is safe to drive when you have consumed any amount of alcohol.

Twenty-five years of research has shown that some impairment begins after only one drink for males and females.

Research shows that impairment begins long before a person reaches the blood alcohol concentration level necessary to be guilty of drunken driving.

Knowing most college students consider spring break as “party time,” the Eighth Annual South Bay DUI Awareness Fair took place on the campus library lawn April 1, just days before students prepared to enjoy the time off.

With so many ways to get around in a busy city, it is a shame that many people drink and drive.

In a city like L.A. where nightlife is one of the main attractions, taxis are always found where people who drink are found.

So why not take advantage of this useful resource?

Other than public transportation, a designated driver is another alternative to avoiding a collision and a possible death.

According to the Alcohol: Problems and Solutions web site, designated drivers have saved nearly 50,000 lives.

This gives more meaning to the phrase “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.”

Those who decide to drive and drink just don’t know their limits and don’t understand the consequences of their actions.

Still, many people decide to drink and drive simply because nothing has happened to them and they think they can “manage.”

With drunken driving deaths in California rising, law enforcers are turning to a little black box as a weapon against irresponsible drunks.

It’s called an ignition interlock device that is basically a Breathalyzer with a tube you blow into.

This interlock device that is installed on the dashboard will not allow a car to start if the driver has more than a tiny amount of alcohol on his or her breath.

Just a few weeks ago, the California Highway Patrol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving and 10 legislators presented a bill to increase use of the interlock device.

If this bill passed in California, first-time drunken drivers would be required to use the device for at least five months after conviction.

There are many reasons to not drive drunk: avoiding the embarrassment of being known as a drunken driver, keeping your drivers license, avoiding fines, staying out of jail and preventing a senseless injury or even death.