If you’re like many, alcohol has affected your life one way or another.

Directly or indirectly, drinking obviously can cause more harm than good. Statistics show Americans are becoming lax in terms of their attitudes against driving drunk.

In an article printed in Tuesday’s Chicago Sun-Times, the newspaper wrote that in 2002, there were at least 159 million incidents of drunk driving in America. In 2003, 17,013 people died in alcohol-related traffic deaths in the United States.

Every two years, a nationwide survey by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine polls Americans to ask how many times during the previous month they’ve driven after drinking too much.

The results aren’t just scary – they’re deadly.

Not only should all Americans make more of an effort to decrease those numbers, but college students, who may be tempted to drive drunk more often, should strive to reduce the trend.

According to the report, after a general decline in the mid-1990s, researchers found that drunk driving “increased substantially by the turn of the century.” They also say the survey probably underestimates the drunk driving problem, since some don’t admit to have driven drunk.

In a city where a plethora of DUIs isn’t anything new to read in Monday’s newspaper, drinking responsibly should be a goal on everyone’s mind.

As cheesy as it sounds, becoming a statistic isn’t worth it.

If you’re going to drink, do it responsibly and remember that several hours of socializing could result in the end of your life – or someone else’s.