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"TOGETHER RECOVERY WORKS"
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When you're in a situation like this you have to be able to make quick and accurate decisions. Drinking slows reaction times and can lead to injury or death for you or for an innocent bystander.
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It takes about one hour for the body to eliminate the alcohol contained in one average drink. It's dangerous, however, to call any drinks "average". The alcohol content in wine may vary up to 400%, in liquor up to 200%, and in malt beverages up to 300%. Drinks that end in "Ice" and other malt liquors have too much alcohol to legally be called beer!
The best recommendation to anyone who plans to drink is to have a non-drinking designated driver along for the party. If there is no designated driver, call a friend or a cab. It's a lot cheaper in the long run.
A word of caution. We have evaluated many people who had been the "designated driver" for the evening. Being a designated driver means not drinking any alcoholic beverages at all, not just limiting the amount.
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A charge of Driving-Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving-While-Intoxicated (DWI) is NOT a minor traffic offense. Either of these charges could result in significant fines, loss of driving privileges and IMPRISONMENT.
Not everyone that we see has a pattern of abusive drinking or the disease of alcoholism. There certainly are some people who simply made a very foolish decision to drive after they had too much to drink. Sometimes these people are called "social drinkers". When injury or death is involved, the person who suffers the harmful consequences doesn't really care if the impaired driver is a social drinker or has the disease of alcoholism!
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Alcohol is an equal opportunity drug. We see people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicity, socio-economic level and any other of the "distinctions" that people make.
We do not see alcohol as a "bad" thing. Alcohol has always been a part of our society and probably always will be. Even people who drink responsibly, however, can sometimes "overdo" it. When this happens, and they get behind the wheel of a several thousand pound vehicle, disaster can occur.
If the person does have an alcohol problem, eventually diaster WILL occur.
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DUI/DWI laws vary from state to state, but the majority of the states have put the limit at .08% blood-alcohol-content. Since Maryland reduced its legal limit to .08% BAC we have not seen an increase in people needing our services. The vast majority of our clients report having a BAC at the time of their arrest of .1% or above.
Refusal to take a breathalyzer test when requested by a police officer will almost certainly result in the suspension of your driving privileges. This information is given to you when you first get your driver's license.
Even a "couple of drinks" will effect and impair your driving abilities. Thousands of innocent people have died as a result of a accident caused by that split-second difference in reaction time caused by even a small amount of alcohol.
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Negotiating something like this is hard enough when you're completely sober. After drinking, it's a formula for disaster.
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