Sobering Up

Cinco de Mayo has entered the mainstream as a holiday, celebrated with good food and many times, an icy adult beverage. With the holiday falling on a Sunday this year, the potential for more people driving home impaired this weekend after their local fiestas is greater than if the holiday occurred on a weekday. How [...]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today in the case of Missouri vs. McNeely that police officers must “usually” obtain a warrant before conducting blood draws on suspected impaired drivers. Justice Sotomayor delivered the Court’s opinion that the natural metabolism of alcohol does not grant a “per se” exigency that allows a blanket exception to the 4th [...]

On St. Patrick’s Day, over 122 million Americans will observe the Catholic Saint’s Feast Day by wearing the green or making a traditional Irish meal. Celebrations will often include hoisting a pint of Guiness or a measure of whiskey at a favorite local pub, and perhaps playing a round of Pub Trivia. In honor of [...]

Just in time to wrap up a year full of good news in the fight against Impaired Driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released the 2011 numbers for alcohol-impaired motor vehicle fatalities. Overall, the U.S. saw yet another year of reductions in traffic deaths due to alcohol, with a drop of 2.5% [...]

Binge drinking spikes around the holidays. Check out this infographic from Everyday Health.

Halloween is no longer a just-for-kids holiday. According to the National Retail Federation, over 170 million people in the U.S. will celebrate Halloween, with one-third of those planning on throwing or attending a party. Adults have embraced the chance to dress-up in costume and celebrate, and according to some newly released data, some may be doing [...]

Drinking and driving has been a chronic—and deadly—problem on Montana’s roadways for decades. In 2008, Forbes magazine reported that Montana was ranked as the deadliest state in the nation when it came to per capita DUI-related traffic fatalities. Law and policy makers responded with a list of changes to the Montana legal code, all aimed [...]

On Monday the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released results from the 2011 National Survey of Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. The 162-page report was released in conjunction with National Recovery Month. The annual study looks at prescription and illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use and measures responses from [...]

The majority of people arrested for drunk driving and who are responsible for drunk driving fatalities and serious injuries are men. But what about women? Over the past few years a number of women have been arrested in high-profile drunk driving cases, most notably Diane Schuler who drove, with her children in her van, the wrong way down the Taconic in New York, and Carmen Huertas (Leandra’s Law). These cases have sparked renewed interest in the involvement of women who drink and drive and, more importantly, the extent to which this problem may be growing.

Last week the National Association of Drug Court Professionals announced the addition of former U.S. Marine Officer Kenneth Gardner to the Justice for Vets team. Gardner will work as part of the Veterans Treatment Court Planning Initiative (VTCPI) and the Veterans Mentor Court Project. Gardner, who deployed multiple times in his military career in support [...]