Holiday Celebrating: Safe Guidelines & Available Options

The holidays are fast approaching and the festivities will soon be in full swing. This entails good times, good friends, good food, and good drinks to raise holiday spirits. Getting behind the wheel after one too many good drinks is one bad idea.

In the US, a life is lost due to an alcohol-related traffic accident approximately every 40 minutes, with the highest number of drunk driving fatalities occurring between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.


A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of as little as 0.08 percent can lead to a DUI/DWI, approximately two or three drinks in one hour for a woman and three or four drinks in an hour for a man (this can vary due to weight and the amount of food consumed).
Here are some safe guidelines for the party goer:

• Never drink on an empty stomach.
• Alternate a non-alcoholic beverage (such as water) with  alcoholic drinks.
• If you plan on driving, allow yourself no more than one or two drinks over the course of the evening (no more than one drink per hour). One drink equates to a 12-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5-ounces of liquor
• Arrange for a designated driver (someone who is not drinking any alcohol) ahead of time.
• Plan to take a taxi to/from the event.
• Arrange an overnight stay at the host's house (if offered).
• If taking over-the-counter or prescription medications, check with your pharmacist or doctor to determine the effects of mixing with alcohol before you drink.
• If dining out, have your drink(s) during dinner vs. after (to slow
the absorption of alcohol).
• Most importantly, wear your seat belt on the drive/car ride home.
The following are some tips for the party host:
• Serve plenty of high protein foods (such as meat, nuts, and cheeses) with alcohol.
• Prepare alcoholic punches with fruit juice instead of a carbonated base (carbonation speeds the absorption of alcohol in the body).
• Offer non-alcoholic beverages such as soda, tea, bottled water or non-alcoholic sparkling wine.
• Appoint a non-impaired bartender to mix drinks.
• Never serve minors.
• Never serve anyone who appears to be impaired.
• Stop offering drinks at least one hour before the end of the event.
• Offer rides (from sober guests) or cab fare to anyone who is intoxicated.
• Never let an impaired guest drive home. Hosts have a responsibilityfor the safety of their guests. Offer your home as a "crash pad" if you have to.

There is a valuable option for the party guest whose good intentions to stay sober have been pulled out to sea by a tide of cocktails.

It is a local service called SoberRide offered through Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP). SoberRide offers free (up to $50 fare) cab rides home for impaired would-be drivers from established taxi companies, such as Yellow Cab, on high-risk holidays (December/ January, Saint Patrick's Day, Independence Day, and Halloween).

SoberRide serves parts of Maryland, DC, and the following areas in Virginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William and Eastern Loudoun Counties, Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park. The phone number for SoberRide is 800.200.8294 (TAXI).

When celebrating, either don't drink, drink little, or don't drive. If you make the wrong decision to get behind the wheel after too many drinks and get a DUI/DWI, know your rights. You can remain silent and refuse requests for field sobriety tests (with the  exception of breath, blood, or urine tests). Ask to contact a  lawyer immediatelyand find a defense attorney who specializes in DUI/DWI cases.

However, think before you drink and drive during this season of festivities (or any other time), unless you want to risk lives, pay the price (DUI/DWI's cost from $5,000 to $20,000) or have a criminal record for life.

Laura Dean-Mooney, the MADD National President, has some prudent advice: "Holidays tend to be dangerous times on the roads.

It's important to celebrate, have fun and stay safe. Designating sober drivers and finding safe alternative transportation are great ways to ensure that your holidays end as safely as they begin."

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SUZANNE RHODES is the author of The Little Embryo That Could: Conquering Genetic Termination, Secondary Infertility, and Other Injustices. She lives in South Riding, VA with her husband and three children. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it