It sometimes seems as though alcohol is available just about everywhere. Many hair salons offer clients a glass of wine. Yoga and painting classes sometimes make alcohol available. Book club meetings and even children’s play dates are often an excuse for people to have a glass of wine (or a few). Bowling alleys have long sold beer and other alcoholic beverages. Some gun ranges even serve alcohol on their premises.
Some funeral homes offer alcoholic beverages as well — to help friends and family toast to a life well lived or simply to help them cope with a loss. Either way, if you drive somewhere you aren’t expecting to drink and end up consuming more than a glass or two of alcohol, you can place yourself and others in danger when you get in the car.
You’re also in danger of getting a DUI. That’s certainly not what you need in the midst of laying a loved one to rest. While it typically takes a few drinks — especially if it’s wine or beer — to reach a blood alcohol content (BAC) that’s over the legal limit, if that alcohol, combined with emotional distress and lack of sleep, causes you to drive erratically and dangerously, you can still find yourself charged with DUI. If someone hasn’t yet reached legal drinking age, they can be in even more trouble.
If you find yourself in a situation where you’re consuming alcohol when you didn’t expect to be, leave the ride home to an Uber or Lyft driver or someone who hasn’t had anything to drink. If you didn’t choose one of those options and find yourself facing a DUI, you can work to help mitigate the consequences to your life by seeking experienced legal guidance.
