Online Alcohol Awareness Classes: December 2010

As a counselor for alcohol awareness classes, I always pose the question to my students why they didn't choose to call a taxi instead of deciding to risk their lives and the lives of other people and drive drunk. How many do you think considered taking a taxi or phoning somebody to give them a ride home? Think about that for a moment. Do you think most do? 50%? Even less?

The answer will probably surprise you - about 10% That means 9 out of 10 didn't even considered alternative transportation. In this day and age, with so much government resources spent toward promoting education and punishing behavior, how can so few people not consider this option?  The following is a true story from one of my students in my alcohol awareness class.

Keith's Story

It was a snowy winters night just before Christmas. Keith had just returned from college and was anxious to visit with his old pals. The plan was to get together at a friend's house and then go out for a few drinks.

Keith was the high school jock, one of the most popular kids in his class. He never was a big drinker, but really enjoyed socializing. When he was a high school snior he always chose to be the designated driver. His 1st real experience with alcohol occurred while joining a fraternity at university.

Keith, driving his dad's new Lexus LX 430 picked up three of his buddies and they headed to the football field at their old high school to meet up with some others. They started with a couple of beers and then began making bets, where a loss meant a shot of liquor. The drink of the night was vodka. After a couple od hours and several drinks it was time for the party to be over.

Now 6 friends jumped in the sedan with Keith. It was packed and the windows quickly steamed up. The first sign he should not have driven was he could not get the key to work the ignition. Second, he ran over the small concrete parking barrier because he put the transmission in "Drive" rather than "Reverse". There was considerable damage to the front-end. Third, may have been the flashing red and blue lights around the block. The police had already arrested their other friends who had left just five minutes earlier.

Alerted by the sound of the Lexus going over over the parking barrier, a police car went to take a look.  Keith was behind the wheel. The police made him perform both a field sobriety test and a Breathalyzer. While he was able to touch his nose, he could not stand on one leg, nor could he walk a straight chalk line. His blood-alcohol level was 0.25%, three times the legal limit.

Keith's Punishment

Keith's punishment: suspension of his right to drive for 180 days, a $500 fine, almost $2,000 in attorney's fees, a mandatory alcohol awareness class, and an overnight in jail. A fifteen dollar Edit taxi ride would have been a lot cheaper, don't you think?

When I asked Keith why he made the decision to attempt to get behind the wheel that evening he told me, "my friends were relying on me. I drove. Moreover I would never let them drive my dad's new car." Interesting thinking, huh?

Keith admitted there were other people  that he could have called to pick him up, including his parents. His father, who had brought him to the alcohol awareness class, said if Keith had called him to pick everyone up, he would have been proud of his child for his responsible actions.

People are rational beings. The issue lies with the effect drinking has on our mind and our ability to make rational decisions. If you realized before getting behind the wheel that, like Keith, you WOULD get caught, and it would cost you thousands of dollars and more, rationally, I know you would find alternative means of transportation.

Alcohol is a really serious drug and should be used with care. If you, or anyone you know, suffer from an alcohol problem, it is essential to seek out help as soon as possible. There are groups like Al-Anon and Alcoholics Anonymous. There also are both in-person and online alcohol awareness classes available.

Online Alcohol Awareness Classes

Monday, December 13, 2010

Colorado Minor in Possession Classes

Sunday, December 12, 2010

North Carolina Minor in Possession Classes

Thursday, December 9, 2010

The Costs of Drinking and Driving

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Finding a Florida Alcohol Awareness Class