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Millions of Americans go to Super Bowl parties whether or not they care about either of the teams or even know anything about football. For many people, it's about getting together with others and having fun.
It's also one of our heaviest drinking holidays. Television ads leading up to the big day and throughout the game reinforce the notion that nothing goes better with football than beer -- or maybe the whiskey or vodka a celebrity is promoting.
If you have recently been charged and convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), you very well could wind up having your driver's license suspended. You might be without your license for anywhere from six months to a year or more. You need to go through a process for having your license reinstated after a DUI, and below, we will discuss that process.
The minimum suspension for a driver's license after being convicted of DUI is 120 days in the state of Georgia. The maximum suspension is five years. You could also wind up having your license revoked depending on your record and how many other DUI infractions you have to your name.
Even in southern states like Georgia, winter is cold and flu season. Fortunately, there are plenty of over-the-counter (OTC) medications that can ease the symptoms and allow people to go to work and handle their other responsibilities while they're sick. Prescription medications can help with more serious cases.
Whatever kind of cold, flu or cough medication you're taking, it's essential to look at the ingredients. Many contain small (or not-so-small) amounts of alcohol. Some forms of NyQuil are 10 percent alcohol. That's fine if you're trying to get to sleep, but not if you're getting behind the wheel. Enough NyQuil can potentially put your blood alcohol content (BAC) over the legal limit.
You've got good kids. They've got strong moral compasses. When confronted with tough situations, like being offered a drink or a joint, they'll "just say no," right?
It may not be that easy. Peer pressure can be strong. Even adults too often do things they regret later because they don't want to be mocked or criticized. Preteens and teens are even more vulnerable.
You're committed to not drinking at any holiday parties this year. Besides the advantage of being able to remember the parties the next day and not making a spectacle of yourself in front of family, friends or (maybe worse) people you work with, this commitment will save you from getting arrested for DUI. Georgia law enforcement officers will be out all over the Athens area, and a DUI can ruin the holidays -- and can impact you well into the future.
Sometimes, the most difficult part about not drinking on social occasions is dealing with the people around you who feel the need to make sure that everyone else is drinking. Have a short and sweet response ready. "I'm driving" should be enough. Whatever you choose to say, keep it brief. You don't need to explain yourself. If you're polite, no one has reason to be upset with you.
In the upcoming weeks, you're likely to see at least one DUI checkpoint around Athens or wherever your holiday travels take you. Law enforcement agencies step up their checkpoints over holidays when drinking is common, and people are more likely to be on the roads while under the influence.
Since drivers are required to pull over at these checkpoints and submit to officers' questions and orders simply because they're driving on a road and not because of anything they've done to arouse suspicion, people sometimes question their legality. Don't they violate the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects us from unreasonable search and seizure since they don't involve a search warrant? After all, your car is being "seized" in a sense, by being directed into the checkpoint and kept there until you're told you can leave.
Almost a quarter of Georgians between 12 and 20 years old say that they've consumed alcohol within the previous month. That's according to a recently released survey by the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility.
Aside from it being against the law in most cases, it's also unhealthy. Alcohol consumption by young people whose brains are still developing can cause have long-term developmental consequences. It can also have more immediate consequences. Young people who binge drink are at a higher risk of death by homicide and suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The most tragic potential consequence of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is killing another person. A Georgia man is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle, for a crash that occurred in DeKalb County earlier this month.
According to local police, the man was under the influence and driving 70 mph when he slammed into the back of a car stopped at a traffic light. A passenger in that car, an 18-year-old Alabama State University (ASU) student, was killed. The teen, who was in her freshman year at ASU, was back in Georgia for her mother's birthday.
Americans don't usually hear discussions about what it means to pass out versus black out from alcohol during Supreme Court confirmation hearings. However, that subject was addressed during the recent Senate confirmation hearings for Brett Kavanaugh as senators questioned him about his youthful drinking.
Many people don't know what a blackout is, and those who have gotten very drunk at one or more points in their life probably couldn't state definitively whether they've ever had a blackout or "merely" passed out.
A person really can't be too young to have a problem with alcohol. Too many teens and even preteens are drinking to excess. Some young people have already gone through substance abuse recovery programs before they begin college.
When loved ones see someone going down a dangerous path that the person fails to recognize, they may choose to do an intervention. The catalyst for an intervention may be a night of binge drinking that lands someone in an emergency room with alcohol poisoning. It may be a DUI. Sometimes, it's just a growing realization by the people in someone's life that they have a problem that needs to be addressed.
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