I am writing in support of the work of the Fayetteville Police Department in having the guts to stand up against the sale of alcohol to minors in Fayette County. Every Fayette County citizen should let his or her voice be heard in support of this outstanding work by law enforcement. Instead we hear the outcries of those who were busted in the sting operation.

Where are the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. of all the youth in Fayette County — why aren't you raising your voices in support of law enforcement and the city council? Why are you letting a few people, accused of selling alcohol to minors, dominate the outcry?

Fayette County can be a model for the rest of Georgia in taking up the fight against underage drinking. You should be very proud of your City Council and law enforcement agencies. They deserve the support of the majority, not the criticism of a minority of citizens.

Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among our nation's youth, and it is costing our society an average of $577.91 per year for every household in the United States.

Underage drinking kills 6.5 times more young people each year than all other illicit drugs combined. This disappointing new research shows the extent of the underage drinking problem and proves that without effort to prevent youth alcohol use now, we could see further preventable tragedies and also an upturn in drunk driving as the number of young drivers increase with the population.

While much progress has been made in reducing youth and adult deaths resulting from alcohol-related traffic crashes, young people are still overrepresented in alcohol-related traffic crash rates. Additionally, a study recently released by the U.S. Justice Department reveals that underage drinking cost Americans $58 billion annually — enough to supply every kindergarten through senior high school students with a new computer.

It is against the law in Georgia to sell alcohol to minors. If indeed the 20 businesses cited recently are determined to be guilty by the courts then they deserve the citation and revocation of their licenses. We cannot allow anyone to sell alcohol to our young people and MADD takes a very strong position against underage drinking and the sale of alcohol to minors.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving is in the process of organizing a community action team in Fayette County. If you are interested in joining this effort please contact us at 404-223-3331 and we will connect you with our volunteers in Fayette County.

John Allen
State Executive Director
MADD Georgia

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