Holiday Merriment: Don’t Drink and Drive

By Lisa Adler and Sara Freund

It’s holiday time when merriment abounds. And for many young adults 18 to 24, that means more parties and other festivities to get together with friends and drink.

Interestingly, many holiday drinkers don’t drink often, so they have a lower alcohol tolerance. This may lead to underestimating their level of impairment and deciding to drive when they shouldn’t. When arrested for drunk driving, these people often show a relatively low blood alcohol content yet they are very impaired.

As mothers of young adults, we can only imagine the heartbreak of getting a late-night/early-morning phone call from a hospital or police officer. We know that good kids with good parents make bad decisions, and that is more likely to happen when alcohol or drugs are involved to impair judgment.

Over the last two Decembers in Fairfax County some 51 motor-vehicle crashes involved alcohol-impaired drivers ages 16 to 24. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in Fairfax County in December 2011 or 2012 in these crashes, but many involved multiple passengers injured.

Since May the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) has aimed through its “Don’t Drink and Drive” advertising campaign to reduce alcohol-related crashes involving youth and young adults. A local advertising company, Focused Image, created (and donated) a series of thought-provoking ads that we’ve distributed in a variety of formats from movie theaters to bathroom stalls.

We’ve been working with law enforcement, universities, restaurants/bars, cab companies, students, parents, teachers and other partners to spread the word and get people talking about why it is dangerous to drink and drive. We also talk about the other costs of being caught drinking and driving, which can involve police charges, court costs, lawyer fees, missed school or work, having a record, to name a few.

This holiday season we urge parents and other adults to talk with children and young adults. Let your child know your expectation that they not drink until the legal age of 21.

If you have college-age or young adults age 21 or older, still let them know you don’t want them to drink and drive. Let them know about SoberRide, a great program offered by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) that provides free cab rides (up to $30) between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Dec. 13, through Jan. 1, 2014. Call 1–800–200–TAXI (or #WRAP for AT&T wireless users). Must be 21 to use this service.

The Fairfax County Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies are on the lookout for drunk drivers during the holiday season. But do your part as well.

If you are out on the roads and see a drunk driver, do call 911 to report it. If you suspect a teenage drinking party going on in your neighborhood, you can make a confidential call to the non-emergency FCPD phone number: 703-691-2131.

Let’s work together to make the holidays merry and not one marked by tragedy or bad memories.

Lisa Adler is the president of the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County (UPC) and Sara Freund is UPC’s deputy executive director.

The Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County is a nonprofit organization with more than 60 community partners working together to keep youth and young adults safe and drug-free. Visit www.unifiedpreventioncoalition.org and www.facebook.com/unifiedpreventioncoalition. Follow the group on Twitter at www.twitter.com/keepyouthsafe.