DUIs

[Jeremy517]

If he's been caught three times, he's probably driven drunk dozens of times. I hope he has to spend a year in jail...

[ghostface]

I believe in NC if you get 3 in 7 years you are on a moped for life.

[KingOtter]

I've got 2 DUI's over 10 years ago, but frankly the .07 that you need to legally intoxicated is so low that I've driven 'drunk' quite a bit since then.

These days it is mostly driving home from a restaurant where I ate and had 2-3 beers over an hour or so. Maybe 4 if we're with friends and stay a couple hours. Usually my wife and I decide between us who is going to drive so whoever does takes it easy and stays under 2 drinks an hour. But I think that would still put me as legally drunk.

I despise no-tolerance and low-tolerance laws. Yes, people who drive severely impaired and kill people are scum of the earth and need to be locked up. Yes, I think tough DUI laws should be in place to help discourage this behavior. But I don't think TOUGH should mean lowering the BAC to levels where just about anyone who has social drinks in a bar is going to blow DUI. I think TOUGH should be stiffer penalties for higher BAC. As the BAC goes up, make the penalty tougher. This first, second, third DUI stuff is crap. If he blows a .25, he should be in jail for a year. If he blows a .08, not so much(these are generalizations of course, and it

To the OP, if your friend only binge-drinks periodically, then he needs to make driving or sleeping arrangements before hand. It shouldn't be hard if it's just a periodic thing. Driving with the LEAST amount of alcohol in your system around holidays is just stupid these days with all the road-blocks they set out.

edit: actually went out and looked at BAC levels, and changed my paragraph that had them in it.

edit: well this site says I can have 4 us beers in 30 minutes and still blow a .067...

[matrix]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been reading the replies and thinking about them. I can see how you people feel. In fact, I'd probably be saying the same thing. But I got a feeling, you would really change your tune if it was your best friend.

[/ QUOTE ]

One of my best friends was killed thanks to a drunk driver some years ago I think you might change your tune if someone you loved was no longer around thanks to some idiot.

if I made the laws getting caught DUI once would be a mandatory 1 year jail term/huge fine (depending on how intoxicated you were when caught) - and twice = permanent loss of licence and 5 years jail time - but then I might be a little biased here.

I hope your friend is put away for as long as possible and learns not to drink and then drive.

For the record yes I have driven drunk once (when I was 18 and had just passed my driving test, I am 31 now) I wasn't caught, I figured out shortly afterwards how stupid I was and have never driven drunk since - it's really not that difficult.

[tuq]

[ QUOTE ]
if I made the laws getting caught DUI once would be a mandatory 1 year jail term/huge fine (depending on how intoxicated you were when caught)

[/ QUOTE ]
This basically tells me you have no idea how arbitrarily low .08 is for some people. I'd hate to have the 2-3 beers that Otter posted about above you and get thrown in jail for a year after getting pulled over for a BS reason unrelated to their consumption. A heavy fine is stupid too - don't give the government a handy excuse to assess huge penalties under the guise of public safety because you know they will (see also photo radar). Let's not even get into what your jail time idea will do to the ever-growing prison population that we're subsidizing.

Solution: roll it back to at least .10 but severely penalize the extreme ones.

[neuroman]

[ QUOTE ]
Solution: roll it back to at least .10 but severely penalize the extreme ones.

[/ QUOTE ]
I think Otter's idea is the right one. When you have arbitrary lines as the basis for legal penalties, there should be more gradations. For example,

.08-.10
.10-.14
.14 and above

[Jimmyjohn]

If you really want to help your friend, you need to go to some AA meetings. YOU, not your friend. While you are there (assuming you go), ask if there is such a thing as a binge alcoholic. And ask the members what happens to an alcoholic's ability to drink normally if he quits for a period of time.

I know you drove him home the last time and I know you want the best for him as he is your friend. But face the fact that you posted so you could run to him with some crafty legal advice that would make his life easier, and that from the viewpoint of one who is NOT qualified to say whether or not he is an alcoholic.

Enabling is almost as hard to admit as alcoholism.

[Klompy]

[ QUOTE ]
if I made the laws getting caught DUI once would be a mandatory 1 year jail term/huge fine (depending on how intoxicated you were when caught) - and twice = permanent loss of licence and 5 years jail time - but then I might be a little biased here.


[/ QUOTE ]

You're pretty much an idiot

quote from tuq
[ QUOTE ]
Solution: roll it back to at least .10 but severely penalize the extreme ones.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this, I think it should be a system based on what you actualy blow. Just saying everyone over .08 can't drive is worthless.

[KingOtter]

[ QUOTE ]
If you really want to help your friend, you need to go to some AA meetings. YOU, not your friend. While you are there (assuming you go), ask if there is such a thing as a binge alcoholic. And ask the members what happens to an alcoholic's ability to drink normally if he quits for a period of time.

I know you drove him home the last time and I know you want the best for him as he is your friend. But face the fact that you posted so you could run to him with some crafty legal advice that would make his life easier, and that from the viewpoint of one who is NOT qualified to say whether or not he is an alcoholic.

Enabling is almost as hard to admit as alcoholism.

[/ QUOTE ]

I disagree with the AA advice. Although it does sound like it comes from someone who has been helped by AA and is absolutely well-intentioned and well-meaning.

After my second DUI I got sent to 60 AA meetings in 60 days. At the end of those 60 days I was quite convinced that wanting a beer, for any reason, was evidence I was an alcoholic. Every billboard, TV ad, magazine ad and bar sign was calling to me, daring me to go in and have a drink. If anything this time in AA alcohol took on a hugely prominent role in my life, where it had never been before.

Mind you, I was a party drinker. Always drank with friends (got caught the 2nd time on the way home from an Atlanta Braves game, and had gone out to a wings restaurant afterwards). But I did binge-drink during the weekends. Usually in the comfort of my own home (I lived with 4 other guys, it was always a party on the weekends).

I have a good friend that went into 'recovery' for an unrelated thing. Next thing you know he's 'recovering' from about 3-4 things in his life, one of them being his alcoholism. This dude drank less than me at most parties and usually I'd be the one cleaning up after him after he drank half of what I drank. 'Recovery' can be addicting, too.

Don't get me wrong... a lot of people need AA. But the advice I would give my closest friend concerning AA is, "Don't go to AA unless alcohol is:
1. Ruining your life (family, friends, career)
2. Becomes a 'necessity' (can't start a day without it)"

I think there is a HUGE difference between what is a 'habit' and what is an 'addiction' and these two things are very frequently confused. Just because something is habitual doesn't mean it is an addiction.

If you're worried about your drinking, take the steps needed to change a bad habit. Replace it with something else. Create mental exercises and distractions to get the craving out of your head. Do this for six weeks (it takes six weeks to make/cure a habit). Stay out of environments that are going to encourage the drinking for a while. Just for a while.

AA isn't something to be taken lightly, and isn't a place you want to go 'visit'. It isn't church where you can get redeemed with occasional visits. It's a life-changing place, and you go when your life needs changing because it sucks so bad, and alcohol is the reason.

This is just my two cents.

[catalyst]

your friend is an idiot and should have learned his lesson by now. jail might teach him this.