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Is Getting Jailed The Ultimate Destination For DWI Offenders?

Posted on Oct 31, 2012

If you are arrested for a DWI offense, you can be convicted and face a lot of penalties. Many offenders face strict and stiffer penalties than just fines. This can include jail time, limitation to driving and even felony if it is a repeat offense.

Types of Penalties Faced By DWI Offenders

If you are charged with DWI, you will have to undergo a series of tests and failing these tests, you will be arrested. If convicted you will face severe penalties based on the specific state laws. You will also face a series of other aggravating circumstances which include but are not restricted to jail time.

The penalties include:

• Jail Time is quite varied according to the state where the crime has occurred. If it is your first-offense DUI, it will be considered as misdemeanor, and you may face jail time of up to six months. This duration can increase based on various factors; (some states have more jail time if the BAC of the offenders is more than 0.15% or 0.20%). However, some states also have minimum jail sentences of at least several days on a first offense.
  The number of days increases considerably with subsequent offenses and can be as much as several months to a year. If it is a felony where the driver or the bystander dies due to drunk driving or if it is the third or fourth DWI, the jail time can be several years. This however, depends on the state law and the decision of the judge at trail.
• Fine The fine for DWI can be anywhere between $500 to as much as $2,000.
• Driving Limitations A DWI can also lead to limitations on driving. In this form of penalty, you will have your license suspended for a substantial period of time. It could be about 90 days for first offender and about a year for second offender and as much as three years for third offender. If you refuse a blood, breath or urine test, your license will be suspended regardless of the finding of guilt.
• Community Service and Alcohol Prevention Plans – You will be involved in other forms of penalties like alcohol teaching and prevention programs, treatment for alcohol abuse, assessment of a person for possible alcohol or drug dependency or addiction, and community service or victim restitution. It is usually recommended by the judges as compared to jail time or fines, as it helps in reforming the convict.

If you are convicted for DWI, jail time is NOT the ultimate penalty. You will face a lot of other consequences based on the frequency of your offense. The severity of the consequences increases considerably based on the extent of the DWI as well as the number of times you have committed the crime.

Alcohol, DWI cases, Drinking LawNo Comments »Alcohol Prevention Plans Driving Limitations DWI Offenders DWI Penalties

Sleep-deprived? Alcohol’s Not The Antidote!

Posted on Oct 04, 2012

Fatigued, stressed and feeling low? Been sleep-deprived for quite some time? Many would resort to finding solace in a bottle of alcohol to drown their sorrows, and to just make them sleep. People claim that booze has quite a sedative effect and puts them to sleep easily, but hey! There’s a difference between passing out after drinking and good quality sleep.

If you are one of those who believe alcohol will make you sleep better, think again.

1. Alcohol Spoils Sleeping Patterns Tremendously

Though it’s true that alcohol reduces the time required to go to sleep, it wreaks havoc with sleep patterns. Consumed a little before bedtime, alcohol causes disruption in the second half of the sleep period. One becomes more prone to waking up in the middle of the night, getting disturbed by dreams and going back to sleep with much difficulty. What’s worse is that if you make a habit out of it, the temporary sedative effect of drinking may gradually wear off while these disruptive effects will continue to become worse.

2. Alcohol Consumption Leads To Poor Sleep Quality

Drinking affects the quality of sleep by causing sleep fragmentation. As mentioned, you become more prone to restlessness in the second phase of sleeping. As alcohol is metabolized by the body during the night, you become more restless, your sleep becomes lighter and you become more fidgety in your sleep. Needless to say, this doesn’t constitute a good night’s sleep and you do not end up being well-rested.

3. It’s Difficult To Focus And Concentrate On Daytime Activities

Probably, you’ll wake up with a hangover, especially if you indulged yourself a tad too much the previous night. Even if you don’t, you’ll be feeling quite fatigued and tired during the day. After all, you haven’t been able to sleep well. Don’t be surprised if you still feel sleepy during the day, because you haven’t been able to get good sleep at all.

4. Withdrawal May Lead To Insomnia

If you’ve been a heavy drinker, and decide to quit, the withdrawal symptoms will exhibit in the form of further sleep disturbances. Insomnia is said to accompany alcohol withdrawal, with some people experiencing numerous awakenings. But the real danger is relapse in the person trying to give up the habit. They might get back to the bottle believing it will help them sleep better, when, in reality, it will continue to wreak havoc with their sleeping patterns.

It’s a myth that alcohol will help you sleep better. In fact, it actually causes more sleep deprivation and will be counter-effective if you’re looking at it as a solution to your sleep problems. The scenario may be worse for women, whose bodies tend to have a higher alcohol concentration than men for the same quantity of drink consumed. That’s why alcohol may cause more sleep deprivation in women.

So the next time you turn to the bottle to help you doze, think smarter and think healthy. Stay away and stay fit!

Alcohol, Alcohol AbuseNo Comments »Alcohol and Sleep Alcohol Disrupt Sleep Effects of Alcohol on Sleep

It IS About Gender! Why Alcohol-Abuse Is An Even Bigger Problem For Young Women

Posted on Sep 18, 2012

Young women these days appear to be befriending the booze much more than ever before. According to a 2010 report, the incidence of alcohol-impaired driving in the last 30 days more than tripled for young women aged 21-34 years as compared to women older than 35 years of age in the US.

While young women may enjoy the highs of being intoxicated, this is a cause for great concern. Though drinking is far from being healthy for anyone, young women sit quite ahead on the disadvantages end. In case you’re wondering, here’s why:

1. Alcohol Affects Women Differently Than Men

We’re not talking about the short-lived high it gives, but we’re talking about the serious health consequences. The more water that is available in the body, the more diluted the alcohol will be. Since women weigh less than men, the water levels in their bodies are less than that in men. This means the same amount of alcohol would have a greater effect on a woman’s organs than a man’s. That’s why dietary guidelines restrict moderate drinking to just a drink a day for women, relative to two for men.

2. Alcohol Can Be Very Harmful For Pregnant Women

Drinking while pregnant can cause mental impairment in the fetus, besides various other harmful effects. Since young women are in their fertile ages, they put themselves particularly at risk. One may argue that they can give up on drinking when they fall pregnant, but the real concern arises from the fact that most of the times women do not even know they are pregnant till at least the 4th or 5th week. If you’re already in the habit and of a fertile age, it pays not to get into heavy drinking.

3. Women Become More Prone To Violence And Sexual Assault

Intoxicated and under the influence of heavy drinking, women are particularly vulnerable to unwanted sexual advances and sexual assault. Unplanned and unsafe sex are also not uncommon among young college-going women when they are under the influence of alcohol. Your best bet as a young woman would be to avoid heavy drinking, even occasionally and to shield yourself from such incidents as much as possible.

4. Risk Of Alcohol-Related Diseases Is Greater Amongst Women

Disease like alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis, alcohol-induced brain damage and heart disease are the bane of alcoholics. However, the risk of developing these diseases is greater for men than for women. In fact, studies also report greater risk for breast cancer amongst women who indulge in heavy drinking. If you don’t want to suffer from a serious, long-term illness later in life, keep your hands off the bottle.

The legal drinking age in the US is 21, but drinking among teenagers is not unheard of either. Though younger women in the 21-35 age bracket need to be careful, adults need to keep an eye on teenage girls around them too. Don’t give away your precious life to drinking. Be safe, be alcohol-free!

Alcohol, Alcohol and CancerNo Comments »Alcohol And Women Alcohol-Related Diseases Effects Of Alcohol Women Drinkers