Drinking Could Be Healthy, DUI Still Isn’t

If you like to drink, you probably welcome the news that says alcohol can be a healthy part of any lifestyle. Maybe you also look away from the headlines that say too much drinking is bad, not even thinking about the DUI dangers we face. Evidently we aren’t the only ones who are tired of the scientific roller coaster of news about drinking. Right now, a landmark study is being developed in order to answer, once and for all, whether or not drinking is healthy.

We’re pretty sure the roller coaster will just keep on coasting.

While that all gets underway, we just want to point out that it doesn’t matter how healthy drinking is or isn’t, if we are still out there drinking and driving. A DUI is the result of bad choices, whether within the limits of what we think is healthy or during a night of extreme binge drinking.

DUI laws across the country set the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit at .08 percent. For a person of average weight, that means no more than three or four drinks total in a four- to six-hour period. Some states will even charge and convict you of a lesser drunk driving charge if your BAC doesn’t meet the .08 percent limit, but you are clearly impaired while driving.

Last year, there were more people on the roads driving under the influence of alcohol, than in previous years. Some attribute that to fewer resources for law enforcement, but the root of the problem is pretty simple: people choosing to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. For anyone who already has a DUI, there are ignition interlock devices and other tools to prevent further incidents. For those who have yet to experience the dangers of drunk driving, that decision can only be prevented by common sense, a plan for a safe ride home or the concern of others.