St. Patrick’s Day is one of the oldest celebrated holidays in the United States, with the first parade held in New York City around 1762. Nowadays St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of not only Irish heritage, but the food and drinks everyone loves. Parades and parties are everywhere, with many bars along the Front Range serving Irish drinks and special St. Patrick’s Day foods & desserts. Unfortunately, St. Patrick’s Day is probably known best for being a holiday of excess, where every one of legal drinking age consumes far too much alcohol. This is one of the reasons that police officers are on constant watch for DUI drivers who pose a risk to themselves and others. The good news is, we have 10 tips that will help you avoid DUIs on St. Patrick’s Day.
Things To Do For Good Luck
Ever think “I need luck”? This St. Patrick’s Day, don’t party so much that you potentially risk your 2nd DUI in Colorado or have to experience firsthand the strict Colorado DUI process. To help keep the night (or month) fun, read below for a few St. Patrick’s Day safety tips on how to bring yourself good luck and fortune from South Denver Law!
1) Remember to Drink
Water, not just alcohol! Believe it or not, drinking water can help you avoid DUI on St. Patrick’s Day. Those traditional Irish cocktails are still delightful, but the bartender might be a little giving with the liquor, causing your drink to be stronger than you might think. After three or four of these, your body is going to need hydration! The more water that you drink while consuming alcohol; the less likely you are to feel that awful hangover later. (We do not guarantee that drinking water will help you avoid the hangover completely, but it will help.)
2) Eat!
St. Patrick’s Day foods, such as Irish stew or Shepard’s pies, are delectable dishes that pair well with beer or even a dyed green cocktail. Those Irish finger foods will help soak up the alcohol, so it’s vital to eat while drinking. If you don’t and avoid even snacking, that alcohol is going to hit you faster than usual and could give you a massive hangover. If the bar or pub scene isn’t in your St. Patrick’s Day future, there are several other activities that you can participate in and stay safe in March.
3) Party at Home
Put together some Irish drinks and green party foods for family and friends and host a party at home! Have everyone bring a dish or drink to share and enjoy some (hopefully) nice Colorado March weather. If we receive two feet of snow on St. Patrick’s Day, then invite everyone over for snow angels, snowmen, and Hot Toddies! (Yes, we know those are English, but a cold beer just doesn’t have the same ring to it.)
4) Checkout St. Patrick’s Day Parade Denver
Parades are fun for the entire family! There are costumes, food, drink, dancing performances, parade floats, marching bands, bagpipers, and more. This year in Denver the parade is March 17th, so make sure to save the date. Staying sober during the parade is a great way to avoid a DUI afterwards!
5) Run a 5K or Even a 7K
Another family-friendly event in Denver, there is the Runnin of the Green Lucky 7K held on both March 9th and 10th. Come dressed in your green to enjoy the race at a relaxed jog or full-on sprint. Not only will you get exercise, but there are fun Irish dancing performances and of course beer! The proceeds from the race support the Volunteers of American Colorado Branch, which assists Colorado residents with everything from housing assistance to at-risk youth programs. Don’t forget to enjoy some St. Patrick’s Day food too!
6) Want to Avoid a DUI? Don’t Drink & Drive!
As obvious as it sounds, too many people don’t follow this step to avoid a DUI on St. Patrick’s Day. In 2017 the State of Colorado alone had more than 10,000 DUI arrests and according to the Department of Transportation 226 fatalities were caused by drunk driving accidents.
7) Have A Designated Driver
Obviously, this should be rule #1 if there will be excessive St. Patrick’s Day shots or beer drinking. Having a designated driver eliminates the likelihood that anyone will need to drive home drunk. This is a great way to avoid a DUI.
8) Take An Uber or Lyft
Uber and Lyft are safe, reliable alternatives that anyone can utilize to avoid a DUI on St. Patrick’s Day. An Uber or Lyft driver is one call away and can provide transportation to a specific pub, along a specific bar-hopping route, and back home for the night. In honor of all the St. Patrick’s Day parties, Uber & Lyft usually offer great discounts off their rides during St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
9) Have a Back-Up Plan Just in Case
Say your DD chooses to get drunk instead of staying sober, and all of the Uber and Lyft drivers are unable to pick you up in a timely manner: always have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Set alerts on your phone to help yourself remember, or write a note that you put in your wallet that you will see. Make sure that you can call a friend or family member to pick you up. If no one is available, there are usually hotels or motels in the area that will appreciate your business.
10) Help Your Friends Avoid a DUI. Don’t Let Them Drive Drunk!
If you see a drunken friend trying to drive, take their keys away and call them an Uber or use that Lyft promo code you have saved up. There is never a good reason to drive drunk, but an impaired friend might not realize that and could make a very foolish decision. Make sure to watch out for your friends.
After St. Patrick’s Day Fun – Find a Celtic Festival
There are some great Celtic festivals all across Colorado! The really big ones are not actually held in March as you would think, but most occur in June or July. So, if you are inspired to seek out your Irish heritage, then mark your calendars for the fun. There are many festivals, but two of the largest are the Pikes Peak Celtic Festival in Colorado Springs and the Colorado Irish Festival in Littleton.
As always, we know that no one is perfect and people make mistakes. If you read through this and weren’t able to avoid a DUI on St. Patrick’s Day, Thomas Ramunda Jr. is here to represent you or a loved one in a DUI case. Make sure to give him a call today to represent you!
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