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"Dear Mom and Dad, every fifteen minutes someone in the United States dies from an alcohol related traffic collision, and today I died. I never had the chance to tell you......."

It may seem strange to get a letter like this from your child, but across the country thousands of high school students are writing these letters and participating in The Every 15 Minutes Program. The alcohol education program started in 1995, with a two day agenda that educated students about drinking, driving, personal safety, and the responsibility of making mature decisions.

Los Angeles drivers drinking kombucha tea better watch out! Associated Press reports that some raw forms of the fermented tea have more than 0.5 percent alcohol, which is the legal limit in the U.S. for a drink not to be considered alcoholic.

For the past month, the government has reportedly been testing kombucha to determine if it should be labeled as an alcoholic like beer or wine. The beverage companies say that kombucha leaves the production process with almost no alcohol, but that alcohol can develop overtime in the unpasteurized versions of the drink, where sugars can be converted into alcohol.

Memorial Day weekend traditionally brings out a lot of drunk drivers on the roads in Los Angeles and across the entire country. Here is a roundup of recent DUI arrests and DUI deaths: According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, 287 people were arrested in Los Angeles County for driving under the influence on Memorial Day Weekend 2009 and two people died in drunk driving crashes during that same time period.

This year's trends are slightly different, as the California Highway Patrol reports that there were more drunk driving deaths and less DUI arrests during this year's holiday weekend. Ten people in Los Angeles County died on the roadways and only 220 arrests were made.

Contrary to popular belief, the federal government cannot directly legislate open container laws; states can. However, the federal government can create incentives for states to make such laws of their own, according to the Connecticut Assembly's OLR Research Report. California stands as one of 43 U.S states that outlaws the possession of an alcoholic beverage container, that has been opened or has a broken seal, while driving a vehicle.

In 1998, the federal government enacted the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) Restoration Act, which sets guidelines for states to follow in order to receive roadway funding. Because state governments want to receive the maximum amount of roadway funding possible, drunk living laws and open container violations were passed because the funding served as an incentive.

Any DUI lawyer in Los Angeles would agree that the best way to avoid a DUI is to simply not drink and drive -- plain and simple. Because many people in Los Angeles love their booze too much and don't want to give up their drinking, it would be more practical for people to give up their driving. Unfortunately that's not always easy when living in L.A.

Saugus High School in Santa Clarita is one more school in Los Angeles County that has chosen to participate in the well-known "Every 15 Minutes" drunk-driving education program.

The Santa Clarita Signal reports that the traffic safety program will be held at the high school today and tomorrow, where teenagers are expected to learn about the consequences of consuming alcohol through an interactive program.

But perhaps the "Every 15 Minutes" at Saugus High School will stand out more and be even more effective among teenagers because Los Angeles Deputies will be joining forces with the school; who will be teaching students about the legal consequences of drunk driving accidents in addition to the emotional consequences.

The Los Angeles Police Department has announced that there will be at least two sobriety and drivers license checkpoints on Saturday February 6, so it would be wise for Los Angeles motorists to drive carefully and stay sober. Law enforcers warn that there could be a high number of drunk drivers on the road this weekend because of the highly anticipated Superbowl, a day that has a history of many DUI arrests. LAPD has planned and confirmed sobriety checkpoints at the following locations on Saturday.

Santa Monica Boulevard between Sawtelle Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard, between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM.

West Manchester Avenue between Figueroa Street and Broadway, between 8:00 PM and 3:00 AM.

The non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is turning 30 years old this year, where the group is having a year-long celebration -- alcohol free, of course.

Candace Lightner started MADD in 1980  after her daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender. Lightner was soon joined by Cindy Lamb -- whose daughter, Laura, became the nation's youngest quadriplegic at the hands of a drunk driver. The two mothers of MADD gained a tremendous amount of support and have a group that continues the work to stop drunk driving, support those effected by drunk driving, and prevent underage drinking.

If you're looking for an alcohol or drug rehabilitation program, there are plenty of facilities and services in the Los Angeles area that can be of help. DUI lawyers in Los Angeles recommend the rehabilitation center, Sunset Malibu, in particular.

This rehabilitation center says that their programs have earned a good reputation around the country and have held true to their mission of helping drug dependents recover from their current conditions. Sunset Malibu offers both long-term residential programs and short-term residential programs.