Why Does the Super Bowl Focus so Much on Drinking?

As a counselor for alcohol awareness classes I am very familiar with the part alcohol plays in our community and is meshed in our culture. My aim in teaching about alcohol is trying to get my students to get more educated about alcohol and its effect on the human body. I try to make them understand about drinking and its effects on not only your body, but in addition those close to a person addicted to alcohol.
At this time of year I always believe about another type of "alcohol awareness" - the powerful pitch to advertise alcohol during the Super Bowl. The ads from Budweiser, Coors, and Heineken have become to many, more important from a viewing standpoint than the game itself. When people think "Super Bowl" they think football, television ads and alcohol - and not necessarily in that order.

Let's All Drink to the Super Bowl

Nobody should be surprised that "Super Bowl Sunday" ranks right up with  the 4th of July and December 31 as the days where the most people are arrested for drinking and driving.
In one of my recent alcohol classes I polled each person in my class if they drank during the Super Bowl, and if they drank how much they consumed. The results probably don't shock you. Out of twenty students, 90% had drank alcohol during last year's Super Bowl. The couple that didn't - one was working and the other had pneumonia.

A Super Binge

Of the rest who had consumed alcoholic beverages, according to their recollection, during the Super Bowl they averaged 8 beverages each. Of course they said that the Super Bowl lasts forever and most of them were sure that they were sober enough to drive by the end of the game. Almost half of the 18 admitted to being intoxicated during the game. One feel asleep before the final whistle.

Super Bowl DUI

Only one of my students that session was attending class to handle a Super Bowl DWI, but throughout the years many of my students were requred to take an alcohol awareness class from a DWI obtained after watching the Super Bowl.

Avoid becoming a statistic. I urge all of you to make sure you have a designated driver for the Super Bowl if you plan on consuming alcoholic beverages. Remember, a cab is ALWAYS cheaper than a DUI.