With the winter holidays upon us, many Athens residents are ready to raise their glasses and toast friends and loved ones for making it through yet another challenging year. While there is nothing wrong with sharing a drink, there are definitely some problems that can arise.
This year, celebrate safely by avoiding binge drinking over the upcoming holidays. You don’t want to wind up with a DUI or worse — as a statistic.
Agency provides sobering facts
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), binge drinking is a public health problem that is both expensive and dangerous. While those from age 18 to 34 comprise the largest demographic group of binge drinkers, surprisingly, the group that binge drinks with the greatest frequency are senior citizens who are 65 and older.
Binge drinkers are not necessarily alcoholics
One might surmise that those who go on drinking binges are alcoholics. Yet, the majority of binge drinkers are neither dependent on nor addicted to alcohol. They may be part of the loud group in the back booth at the bar, cheering on their team to victory. Conversely, they may be quietly drowning their sorrows in a darkened barroom after the loss of a spouse or other close relative.
Drivers impaired by alcohol tend to binge drink
While consuming too much alcohol harms the body in various ways, the damage is limited to the individual drinker (and sometimes those closest to them as well). But the problem is greatly exacerbated when the drinker on the binge decides to get behind the wheel of a car.
They may think that they can make it home without incident. But their judgment is already adversely affected by their alcohol consumption. When the blue lights appear in their rearview mirror, the jig is up.
Don’t let a DUI ruin your life
A conviction for driving under the influence can disrupt all facets of your life. If you face charges of DUI, begin to build a stalwart defense with your responses during your arrest. Invoke your right to remain silent until you have spoken to your criminal defense attorney.