Drunk driving kills more than 13,000 people a year on America’s highways. Every 39 minutes, a life is lost with alcohol behind the wheel. By this time tomorrow, 37 people who were here when I wrote this column will be suddenly snatched from their lives prematurely.

In my time at The Evening Sun, I’ve learned all too quickly of the relationship between alcohol consumption and criminal activity. In an unofficial estimation, I’d guess nearly 80 percent of all crimes committed since I began working at the newspaper involved the consumption of a mind-altering substance, the most common by far being alcohol.

Whenever I attend court, I watch average, middle-aged people come before the judge to face charges of driving under the influence. At the county level, it is often their second, third, fourth or fifth offense.

I remember the two worst repeat offenders. One had 10 prior alcohol driving convictions and the other 14. Most of those were committed in the 60s or 70s from what I recall of the cases.