Drink Responsibly This St. Patrick’s Day

It’s St. Patrick’s Day! For many, it’s a day to wear green and eat a Rueben sandwich – and maybe get a little bit tipsy drinking green beer. In fact, according to the pop culture website Mental Floss, Cody is home to the best Irish bar in Wyoming – Pat O’Hara Brewing Company!

However, St. Patrick’s Day has become a dangerous day for drinking and driving.

After New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and the 4th of July, St. Patrick’s Day is the most popular drinking day in America. And nationwide, St. Patrick’s Day DUI fatalities are nearly double the daily average. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 700 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving drunk drivers during St. Patrick’s Day holidays from 2006 to 2010.

Studies have shown that roughly three quarters of fatal St. Patrick’s Day car crashes involve a driver whose blood alcohol content is twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent. A man of average weight will reach this legal limit after three drinks in an hour; for a woman it’s two drinks.

The Park County Sheriff’s Office advises residents that if they plan on drinking, plan on not driving. Designate a sober driver before the party begins. If you have been drinking, do not drive, even for a short distance. And look out for others – if you see someone about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them arrange a safe way home.