Celebrate Responsibly This Holiday Season

Post - Celebrate Responsibly

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and estimated 32 people in the U.S. are killed each day in automobile accidents where alcohol impaired driving is involved. This equates to one person every 45 minutes. 

This month, the NHTSA is stepping up efforts to raise awareness of impaired driving dangers. Law enforcement across the nation will be making concerted efforts in local communities for high-visibility enforcement, including sobriety checkpoints and community outreach, designed to remove impaired drivers from the roadways. 

As we head into the holiday season, we encourage you to celebrate responsibly.

If you are at least 21 years of age and you will consume alcohol when celebrating with family or friends, make a plan for a safe ride home before your celebrations begin.  A plan may include designating a non-drinking unimpaired driver or calling a family member, friend or rideshare app.

Remember to eat beforehand and stay hydrated. Pace yourself, count your drinks, and limit how much you consume.

Learn about standard servings of alcohol - it’s often less than you think. The size of alcoholic beverages and their associated alcohol content may vary widely.  One standard drink generally means one 12-ounce beer, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5-ounce shot of liquor. 

Depending on the recipe, a cocktail may contain multiple standard drinks worth of alcohol. Know how much alcohol is in your cocktail. 

Nothing can lower blood alcohol concentration or BAC except for time.  A driver’s BAC cannot be above zero point zero eight percent if he or she is of legal drinking age.  If a driver is under 21, Maine has a zero tolerance law - no alcohol is permitted in their system while operating a motor vehicle.

The pandemic has many of us feeling stressed and isolated.  To cope, some people may turn to substance use.  In Maine, we have seen increases in the availability of alcohol, sales of hard liquor, and crashes related to impaired driving.

If you are drinking more alcohol than usual, or are concerned about your or someone else’s drinking, visit alcoholscreening.org for a free, anonymous, and confidential self-assessment tools and resources.

NHSTA Resources

Drunk Driving.  https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving. 

NHTSA Reminds Holiday Revelers to Drive Sober.  https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/remind-holiday-travelers-drive-sober.  Published December 13, 2022.