Being intoxicated does not mean that an individual has to be above the legal limit designated by law to feel the effects of alcohol. In fact, research has shown impairments begin far before a person reaches a blood alcohol level that would be considered illegal.

With this is mind, should an individual who consumes any amount of alcohol be considered safe behind the wheel of a vehicle?

A blood alcohol level, or BAC, of .08 has been defined as the legal limit to be found guilty of drunk driving in all 50 states.

However there are many factors that will affect your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Size, gender, physical condition, how much you have eaten, how much sleep you have had, if you are taking any medications, and the actual alcohol content of your chosen
“drink” can all cause limit variations from person to person.

A “drink” is either one shot of liquor, a five-ounce glass of wine or one beer, all of which contain the same amount of alcohol.

Take a look at this Blood Alcohol Level calculator: http://www.csgnetwork.com/bloodalcolevelcalc.html

Alcoholics Anonymous is probably one of the oldest forms of dealing with an alcohol addiction, and anyone who has an alcohol addiction has likely to have heard of Alcoholics Anonymous also simply known as AA.

I have been to a few of there meetings and spoke to a number of people who have also attended there classes and most people seem to be giving me maixed feelings "It’s a bunch of unserious people that have no effective means of dealing there problems (Alcohol)". People have even told me that there techniques there use are not to modern day life, and they still live back in the old times.

So should you seek help from Alcoholics Anonymous? Here are a few questions which I can answer for you which might help you make the right decision.

What is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)?

Alcoholics Anonymous is a long-standing organization of people which are out to help alcoholics recovery from there alcohol addiction. Remaining sober is the goal for all those attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. But does this happen? More times than not most people do slip back into their old habits and hit the bottle again. The program they offer you is known as the twelve-step-program, which is aimed at helping alcoholics over come there drinking problem.

Just what does Alcoholics Anonymous do?

Alcoholics Anonymous offers hope and help to people who can’t afford to attend a private health clinic. In fact you’ll never be asked to put your hand in your pocket for money because it’s free. Basically you can attend as many times as you like or as few meeting as you like.  

You’ll find Alcoholics Anonymous hold meetings in nearly every major metropolitan city, and the meetings can be daily or just once a week, it all depends just how busy that alcohol rehab centre is.

If you have an alcohol addiction its worth attending a meeting, you don’t have to participate, you can just sit there and listen to the group leader as he addresses other peoples problems.

Just how does Alcoholics Anonymous help people?

Alcoholics Anonymous helps people by running an alcohol rehab program which is tailored with there twelve-step-program designed to stop you from drinking alcohol. But what is very interesting is that most people who run these programs are ex-alcoholics or had problems with drinking alcohol sometime in there life.

Now before you go off rushing to pick the phone up and find out where your nearest Alcoholics Anonymous rehab centre is, I advise you to do your research first, there are plenty of reputable website on the Internet which can help you, and some even offer 100% money back guarantee’s if they can’t help you over come your alcohol addiction. Remember you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

This is society video depicting the sudden life changing moments that occur during a drunk driving accident. Does an excellent job of showing it from the victims and drunk drivers point of view. Every 32 minutes, there is a alcohol related traffic fatality in the USA. Every 2 minutes, there is a alcohol related traffic injury. Watch this video and maybe, just maybe, you’ll think twice before you take a drink and get into your car.

MANCHESTER, N.H. - Police say a man they pulled over for driving drunk continued to swig his beer during his arrest. Patrick Allain, 35, faces numerous charges after his arrest Monday night, the fourth time he’s been arrested for driving while intoxicated. Police say he hit two other cars and initially refused to stop when officers tried to pull him over.

When he finally stopped, Allain allegedly continued to drink a 40-ounce bottle of beer, telling officers, "You can charge me with whatever you want. It’s not going to stop me from drinking and driving."

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

Alcohol is a major factor in traffic accidents. According to U.S Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projections, there is an alcohol-related traffic fatality every 29 minutes.

Alcohol-related crashes are defined as those where someone involved, either a driver or a pedestrian or another non-occupant, had a traceable amount of alcohol in his or her blood. According to NHTSA projections, 17,941 people died in alcohol-related crashes in 2006, the highest level since 1992 and up 2.4 percent from 17,525 in 2005. Alcohol was involved in 41 percent of all crash fatalities in 2006.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that over 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in 2004 (latest data available). The arrest rate works out to one arrest for every 139 licensed drivers in the United States.

The definition of drunk driving is consistent throughout the United States. Every state and the District of Columbia defines impairment as driving with a BAC (blood alcohol content) at or above 0.08. In addition, they all have zero tolerance laws prohibiting drivers under the age of 21 from drinking and driving. Generally the BAC in these cases is 0.02.

Anti-drunk driving campaigns especially target drivers under the age of 21, repeat offenders and 21 to 34 year olds, the age group that is responsible for more alcohol-related fatal crashes than any other. Young drivers are those least responsive to arguments against drunk driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

To make sellers and servers of liquor more careful about to whom and how they serve drinks, 43 states and the District of Columbia hold liquor servers legally liable for the damage and injuries a drunk driver causes.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

Early on Sunday morning, September 18, 1999, Jacqueline Saburido, 20, and four friends were on their way home from a birthday party. Reggie Stephey, an 18-year-old star football player, was on his way home from drinking beer with some buddies. On a dark road on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, Reggie’s SUV veered into the Oldsmobile carrying Jacqui and the others. Two passengers in the car were killed at the scene and two were rescued. Within minutes, the car caught fire. Jacqui was pinned in the front seat on the passenger side. She was burned over 60% of her body; no one thought she could survive. But Jacqui lived. Her hands were so badly burned that her fingers had to be amputated. She lost her hair, her ears, her nose, her left eyelid and much of her vision. She has had more than 50 operations since the crash and has many more to go.

In June 2001 Reggie Stephey was convicted of two counts of intoxication manslaughter for the deaths of Jacqui’s two friends. He was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined $20,000.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/

When actor Jake Gyllenhaal was sixteen, his parents allowed actor and professional race car driver Paul Newman to take him out on the track for a driving lesson he’d never forget. While the boy sat transfixed in his seat Newman roared the NASCAR they were riding in straight at a wall only to steer clear of it at the last second with the admonition, “never do that.”

Most parents of teenagers who are old enough to get their driver’s licenses don’t have a professional race car driver who can make an impression on their kids. But the good news is that as parents there are many things you can teach your child that will have the same effect.

No. 1: Don’t push kids who are not ready.
Most teenagers can’t wait to get behind the wheel for the first time because they know that driving will give them new freedoms. But if your child resists getting a license at 16, let him know that he can wait until he feels he is ready. And if you feel your child should wait until 17 to drive, when he will be more responsible, don’t let your child pressure you into letting him drive just because other kids drive at 16.

No. 2: Set a positive tone.
 When your teen is ready to drive, let him know that you think he will be a great driver. At the same time, grant privileges slowly so you can add more as your son or daughter demonstrates they are ready for them instead of having to take privileges away when your trust is violated. Teenagers love to test their parents and in fact it is their job to do so. It is the parents’ job to set clear rules and to hold teenagers responsible when they are violated. Consider rewarding your teen if he or she is accident-free for a certain period of time and remove restrictions when you find they are no longer necessary.

No. 3: Sign a Contract.
The best way to lay out the rules you expect your new driver to follow is to put them in a contract you both will sign. The contract should cover such things as the number of friends who can be in the car with the new driver (most likely one), what time the driver must be home on school nights and weekends, responsibilities for gas, insurance and car maintenance and the mandatory use of seat belts for all passengers.

No. 4: Don’t give him an excuse to drive drunk.
Even though you have made it absolutely clear that there is to be no drinking and driving, you should let your teen know that you will pick him or her up with no questions asked wherever they are if they are drunk or the driver who took them somewhere is incapable of driving. Teens who are afraid their parents will “kill them” are more likely to take the risk of driving drunk or get in the car of an impaired person because they are afraid of getting in trouble.

No. 5: Be a good role model.
Make certain that your driving habits don’t conflict with any of the rules you have set for your teenage driver. Don’t drive if you have had a few drinks and keep your temper in check in situations that could lead to road rage. Your teenager is paying as much attention to what you do as what you tell him to do.

http://www.stopdrinkingadvice.org/guide/