Before Thanksgiving and Black Friday, now beginning Thursday, comes Black Wednesday -- one of the most dangerous nights of the year when it comes to underage drinking.
The day before Thanksgiving is No. 1 for underage drinking.
"The college kids are coming home and the high school kids feel entitled to celebrate and that mix increases the amount of alcohol on the roads," Montgomery County police Capt. Thomas Didone said.
The ominous day was pegged Black Wednesday because teens drink until they black out. The danger doesn't stop there.
"Ask some of our victims’ families who no longer have family members at the dining table for Thanksgiving the severity,” said Caroline Cash, of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. “It is the taking of human life."
Older siblings and fake IDs rank high on the list of ways minors get alcohol, and then there's also the parents.
“Parents are most likely to host parties involving youth because of the poor belief that they can control the situation: If they're having their kids drink at home, then it's safe,” Didone said. “That's absolutely not the case."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 1 in 4 U.S. teens admits to binge drinking -- four drinks or more for girls; five drinks or more for guys.
Wednesday night in Montgomery County, police will have checkpoints on major highways with about 40 officers looking for violators.
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