Dad Was Arrested For DUI, After Crash Killed His Three Kids

Not even a year after the tragedy on the Taconic Parkway this past summer, a horrific accident just occurred in the central valley of California. A dad was arrested for DUI, after a crash killed his three kids in southwest Madera County on Tuesday afternoon. There has not been a whole lot of information released at this point; we know from Sheriff Officials that on Tuesday afternoon Aref Kareem Mohammed of Firebaugh drove his mini-van head on into another vehicle. The other car had four passengers inside, all of which suffered both major and minor injuries; the fate of the three children who were not wearing seat belts in Mohammed's vehicle would not be so fortunate.

The thought of any parent driving while intoxicated with their children aboard is mind boggling, after hearing about the Taconic Parkway massacre this summer; when Diane Schuler drove the wrong way down the parkway crashing head-on with an SUV killing eight people including herself. Shock waves were felt around the world, people asking how or why an accident like this can take place. Parents began to question who they let drive their children when car pooling. Sadly, months later the Schuler story seems to be forgotten and history repeats itself once again.

Mohammed who was not seriously hurt will have to live with knowing that he killed his 6-year old twin sons and his 3-year old daughter Fatima. No punishment mankind could impose upon him could ever out-weigh the punishment of knowing that your actions resulted in the death of all your children. The AP reported that, "34-year-old Mohammed faces multiple charges, including DUI with gross negligence, child endangerment and driving under the influence of a controlled substance". There has not been any talk of vehicular manslaughter charges as of yet, but, it seems likely that more charges will be filed.

Baby Boomers and the Elderly have been Binge Drinking

Binge drinking has always been considered a problem with teenagers and young adults, but, studies now show that this phenomena may not always be limited to the younger age groups. Researchers are finding that more and more baby boomers and even the elderly have been binge drinking. This trend goes relatively unnoticed because many people in those age groups do not tell anyone how much alcohol they are consuming; even doctors are misled by patients about the amount they drink and the way in which it is consumed. Duke University scientists, who researched and analyzed data of nearly 11,000 middle-aged and elderly adults from the 2005 and 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, report in the American Journal of Psychiatry that:

* 14% of men and 3% of women 65 or older admit to binge drinking -- defined as quaffing five or more alcoholic beverages on a single occasion within the past 30 days.

* Among 50-64-year-olds, 23% of men and 9% of women admitted to binge drinking

* Bingeing and at-risk alcohol use was more common among people 50 to 64 than those in the older group.

* Among males, binge drinking was associated with higher income, being separated, divorced, or widowed while being unemployed.

* Among women, non-medical use of prescription drugs was associated with bingeing.

* Bingeing also was associated among all those studied with the use of tobacco and illicit drugs.

* Men in both groups are more likely than women to binge drink.

This trend indicates that as time goes on more baby boomers and elderly people will begin binge drinking, according to researchers studying problem drinking. Moreover, studies show that those who binge drink are 14 times more likely to get behind the wheel, as reported about Diane Schuler a mother who drove the wrong way on the Taconic Parkway killing herself and seven others. Her husband swears that Diane was not an alcoholic and that he never saw her drunk. But, when a mother of two gets in a car, drinks the equivalent of ten drinks and apparently smokes marijuana with her kids and her three nieces in the car, there must be a problem. Binge drinking is a clear sign that a person is in the grips of addiction and more times then not, help is necessary if this problem is to stop. There is no age restriction on being an alcoholic; the disease affects children as well as grandparents.

I encourage you to watch a short video that ABC did about this same problem, called Binge Drinking in Middle Age. It makes some interesting points and is worth watching. Please send me your thoughts on the subject.