THE $10,000 DRINK!

Did you know that having a drink in Lake County and then driving could cost you more than $10,000? It’s called “driving under the influence!”

The law says the legal drinking age is 21. This means you can legally have a drink. However, were you aware that with the first sip of alcohol, you become impaired? With enough sips, your blood alcohol level can rise to .08, which means you are “driving under the influence.” If your blood alcohol content rises as high as .20, there are increased penalties for DUI.

What happens if you aren’t 21? Possession of an alcoholic beverage is a second-degree misdemeanor. You get you arrested and fined up to $500. Operating or in physical control of a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .02 or greater is automatically a six-month suspension of your drivers license. No matter what your age, refusal to submit to a breathalyzer test requested by law enforcement is a oneyear automatic suspension of your driver’s license and an 18-month suspension for second or subsequent refusals. A DUI stays on your record for 75 years. A DUI cannot be expunged from your criminal record in Florida.

WOW—More than $10,000 for a drink! That was quite a drink! Keep in mind no accident was involved. No one was hurt. I didn’t include costs of incarceration. In this instance, it was a first offense. The blood alcohol content was not close to .20, or there would have been extra penalties. If any of those circumstances had been different, the costs would have been even higher.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how old you are or if you are male or female. If you drink and drive, the costs to you are only beginning.

So, if you are of legal age, call a cab or ride with a designated driver. If you aren’t of legal age, don’t drink. It’s just not worth the price you have to pay.

For more information about health issues pertinent to underage drinking and the consequences, please contact Be Free Lake at 352.408.2009 or find out more about us at www. befreelake.org