On the hunt for drivers under the influence

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

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Deputies will be out in full force looking for drivers under the influence.

Again this week, I am begging our community to please drive responsibly this holiday season.

I am specifically referring to not drinking and driving. Consider the below excerpt from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office web site:

The State of Florida is actively apprehending, prosecuting, and convicting impaired drivers to prevent personal injury, property damage, and loss of life. Each year persons who drive under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances (DUI) kill or injure thousands of people in Florida.

To combat the menace of drunk drivers, the Florida Legislature enacted comprehensive DUI legislation. Florida's DUI law is considered to be one of the nation's toughest laws against impaired driving.

The governor and cabinet, in an effort to prevent the tragic loss of life caused by impaired drivers, have asked state and local law enforcement agencies to actively enforce Florida's DUI law. The Florida Highway Patrol, sheriff's offices and police departments have increased their efforts to apprehend persons who drive under the influence.

So, if this doesn't seem scary enough, consider the consequences of driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated. Pursuant to the law, persons who are found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or driving with an unlawful blood alcohol level are subject to the following minimum standards of punishment as described by the

Florida Statutes
	Click here for the Florida statute dealing with DUI.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

First-time offenders face the following possible punishment:

A minimum fine of $250
Imprisonment for up to six months
At least 50 hours of community service
At least six months' revocation of the driver's license
Mandatory attendance of a substance abuse education course

Second-time offenders face the following possible, even stricter, punishment:

Mandatory terms of imprisonment
Increased fines and revocation periods
Mandatory attendance of a substance abuse education course

Refusal to submit to a required breath, urine, or blood test will result in:

At least six and possibly 12 months' suspension of the driver's license
Prosecution for DUI

If you will be hosting or planning a holiday party this year, consider the following tips for preventing intoxication and injuries and accidents on our roadways:

Serve a variety of beverages; not everyone drinks alcoholic beverages. In addition to alcohol, serve non-alcoholic fruit punch, soft drinks, coffee, and tea.
Prepare high protein food: cheeses, meats, hard-boiled or deviled eggs, seafood, fresh vegetables. Protein foods slow absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream. But avoid thinking that you can drink more because you're eating protein foods.
Avoid too many crackers and chips; they speed up alcohol entry into the bloodstream and increase the blood alcohol level at a faster rate.
Serve only coffee and tea and non-alcoholic beverages during the last hour of your party. This will allow some of your heavier drinkers an opportunity to eat and reduce their blood alcohol levels.
It is your responsibility to arrange for an intoxicated guest to arrive home safely. Drive him home, call a taxi, or have another guest take him home.
Don't feel bad singling people out to be "cut off" from the bar. Consider asking them to eat before having more beverages or make them far weaker drinks than they would make themselves.
If you have a guest who is hovering by the bar and emptying the Bacardi bottle, then remove it.

Bottom line, your guests are at your function to share in the holiday cheer, not get polluted. Therefore, don't let them do so and go to great lengths to ensure they don't unless they are not driving.

So, this holiday season, make the pledge not to drink and drive and stop others from doing so at all costs. There is not a cab fare in the world that could ever affect you as emotionally and financially as a DUI or DWI. So, select a designated driver or take a cab. Don't just make the responsible choice for yourself; do it for those law-biding citizens who may fall victim to your poor choices.

Regards, Russ Handler

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