Drunk driving claims 28 lives every day, for a total of over 10,000 people every year in the United States alone (MADD statistics). In 2011, 316 people died in Ohio due to drunk driving (The Century Council – Ohio). Alcohol by definition is a “depressant derived from the fermentation of natural sugars present in fruits, vegetables and cereals” (What is alcohol). Alcohol is considered a drug and its excess can be deadly not only for those who consume it but also for those around them. The higher the blood alcohol content, or BAC, the more likely they are to harm themselves and those around them. There are established guidelines for determining how high your blood alcohol content can be to drive legally, but enforcing these laws can be a struggle. In Ohio, if someone is caught driving under the influence for the first time, they are only forced to stay in jail for 3 to 6 days, but can instead choose to do 3 days of driver intervention (Ohio OVI Laws) . These laws are not severe enough, even though there is a tax that accompanies prison time, these punishments are not enough. In Ohio, half of the people arrested for drunk driving each year are repeat offenders (DUI and DWI in Ohio). At present, the punishment for drunk driving is not severe enough, for all crimes the prison time should be increased to prevent repeat crimes and protect lives. To fully understand what drunk driving is, you must first understand what it means to be legally drunk. To determine how drunk someone is, their blood alcohol level is taken. Blood alcohol content is normally detected by a breathalyzer in drunk driving situations, but can also be determined from urine samples and blood samples. A person's blood alcohol content can vary greatly depending on gender and weight. Alcohol in women's blood...... middle of paper......923.03 Complicity." Lawriter - ORC - 2923.03 Complicity. Np, nd Web. December 16, 2013. "Ohio OVI Laws." Dui.drivinglaws. org. Np, nd Web. 5 Oct. 2013. “On DWI Laws in Other OH Countries.” Criminal defense lawyer. Com. NOLO, nd Web. Dec. 16, 2013. “State Drunk Driving Laws.” About.com Alcoholism. Np, nd Web. 05 Oct 2013. Witheridge, Janet and Robyn Robertson Drinking and Driving Report. Rep. Np: np, nd Report on Drinking and Driving Web. 2013.