Alcohol Awareness

After a long winter, sunny days are just around the corner in the month of April. Usually, the weather over the weekends may urge you and your friends to go out for a few drinks to relieve some of the stress you may be facing from your workweek. April is the month for multiple types of awareness. In my previous post, I mentioned that April is the month for stress awareness. However, April is pretty versatile, also holding alcohol awareness!

Alcohol is one of the most abused substances in North America. Although not everyone may be abusing alcohol, some may just be drinking socially! However, no matter what the reason is behind the consumption of alcohol, judgement and reaction time is altered with alcohol in your system.

According to statistics Canada, in 2015 there were 72,039 impaired driving incidents reported to the police. Although Ontario holds one of the lower impaired driving rates, driving while impaired will not only result in speeding and aggressive driving, but it will also lead to a DUI (driving under the influence) on your records.

What does having a DUI on your record mean for you? Well, simply put, if you are caught drinking and driving, you will be charged under the Criminal Code to start off. Following the charges laid, your licence will be suspended and your vehicle will be impounded. Now, bear in mind, insurance companies are not friendly with providing insurance to individuals who have a DUI on their record, so you may be placing yourself in a very sticky situation.

While being criminally charged with a DUI might seem horrible, imagine the results of driving under the influence with other drivers in your surroundings. You may think you have everything under control or your destination is not far away, but there are many lives that are at risk along your way.