The organization of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers ( MADD), originally, was established to fight drunk driving, and to help those who have fallen victim to its injustice. However, over the years its focus has shifted, taking a different turn. They have accomplished some good things, but have avoided some important points and perhaps forgotten their key objective ; to keep drunks from driving. They now focus more on just preventing drinking in general, especially with minors and making the punishments for it so severe that it has, what I believe, more of a negative effect, especially with under aged drinking. As law enforcement and penalties have become tougher on alcohol-related offenses, harsher penalties are being handed down to drinkers than abusers of illegal drugs, (simple possession of which is strictly not allowed in the first place!) For instance, MIP’s punish under-age drinkers with months of probation as well as mandatory attendance at a number of AA meetings. What a ridiculous sentence, requiring a non-alcoholic to sit through meetings where they must sit through and greet everyone else as an alcoholic. Sentences for possession of marijuana are a simple slap-on-the-wrist, with weak probation terms, measly compared to MIP’s. Because more emphasis is being placed cleaning up under-age drinking by imposing harsher sentences, MADD’s focus is actually posing a more negative effect on these teenagers. With the hassle of having to go to more extreme links to be able to drink occasionally, minors have resorted to taking more extreme measures, doing things such as various pills and marijuana . Both of which are by far, more addictive, and cause greater harm to the body. For example, opiates, as well are other illegal drugs, mimic neurotransmitters making them more addictive and more damaging to the brain’s structure and functionality. There is a wider variety of damaging long term effects. Marijuana, with the exception of use for…