Information from the County Attorney's Office
By Steven J. Franzen, Campbell County Attorney
With the holiday season upon us and most of us attending lots of family gatherings, Christmas parties, New Years Eve Parties, etc., I thought it may be helpful to explain how many drinks someone can normally have before they reach the .08% alcohol level prohibited by Kentucky law. Many people do not know about how many drinks they can have and then drive without violating Kentucky's per se DUI law. Below is a chart showing that information for both men and women:
The above numbers are only averages and will be affected some by such things as the amount of time over which the drinks are consumed and the amount of food consumed with the drinks. Remember, however, that some people are actually under the influence after consuming less alcohol. Also, for anyone under age 21, the prohibited level is .02% which takes about one drink.
Please be careful. There are many tragic injuries and deaths every day caused by folks who thought they were okay to drive. We should all know and carefully observe the above limits. When in doubt, it is always best not to drive. It's a whole lot easier to allow a spouse, friend, uber or taxi to drive you home rather than risking a DUI or an accident.
A first offense DUI carries penalties up to a $500 fine and up to thirty (30) days in jail and mandatory jail time if the alcohol concentration is 0.15% or higher. A second offense DUI within five (5) years carries a penalty of up to a $500 fine and up to six (6) months in jail with a mandatory seven (7) days in jail. A third offense DUI within five (5) years carries a penalty of up to $1,000 and up to twelve (12) months in jail. A fourth or subsequent offense DUI within a five (5) year period is a Class D Felony which carries a possible penalty of up to five (5) years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
It's great to socialize with family and friends during the holidays and it's certainly okay for adults to have a few drinks at these social gatherings. However, if you feel there is any possibility whatsoever that you could be in violation of the above noted limits or could be in any manner influenced by the alcohol you consumed, please have the common sense, courtesy and respect for yourself, others and the law to allow someone else who is completely sober to drive you home. As the old saying goes, it's certainly better to be safe than sorry. I hope and pray all of you have a very peaceful, enjoyable and safe holiday season.
I hope this information is interesting and helpful. If you have any topics you would like to have covered in this column, please contact my office by e-mail at campbellcoatty@gmail.com, by phone at 491-7700 or by regular mail addressed to 319 York Street, Newport, Kentucky 41071.