Nathan Key

Law enforcement officers across the state are asking motorists to be responsible during the holiday season as they travel roads. They're asking them to refrain from drinking alcohol or taking medications or illegal narcotics and driving while under the influence of such substances.

It's part of the fifth and final Booze It and Lose It campaign, an initiative of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.

Booze It and Lose It began Dec. 4 and will run through Jan. 3, covering the Christmas and New Year's periods that traditionally see plenty of holiday parties and gatherings take place.

"People need to be responsible and use a designated driver who has not been drinking," North Carolina Highway Patrol First Sgt. G.W. McCelland said. "If you are going to a party and will be consuming alcohol, you need to find a place to stay, avoid drinking or have someone drive you. We don't want anyone on the road if they are impaired."

Booze It and Lose It is geared toward bringing awareness to drinking and driving or operating a vehicle under the influence of prescription medications or illegal narcotics.

McClelland said law enforcement officers across the state are seeing a rise in the number of DWI arrests as a result of people operating vehicles while under the influence of prescription medications, and he noted that can be avoided.

"We are seeing more people impaired because of prescription medications," he said. "People need to follow instructions and not mix alcohol with these medications or not operate a vehicle while taking them."

Because it covers two major holiday periods that tend to involve the consumption of alcohol, the final - and longest - Booze It campaign is an important one simply because there may be more opportunities at different parties and gatherings for people to be exposed to alcohol.

The illegal blood alcohol content in North Carolina is .08, and impaired driving is the second leading cause of vehicle crashes in the state behind speed.

A first offense for DWI can lead to the suspension of a driver's license for 30 days, and if convicted, the loss of driving privileges for up to 12 months. DWI convictions also can lead to a total loss of driving privileges and even increased insurance rates, not to mention damage to vehicles or other property.

Worse, it can lead to deaths, often of innocent people.

"It's bad enough when you have one person impaired in a single-vehicle crash," McClelland said. "It's even worse when an innocent person is hurt because someone is not responsible and gets behind the wheel after they have had too much to drink or been exposed to drugs."

McClelland knows firsthand the results of impaired driving. As a trooper, he was hit by a drunk driver while on patrol and spent 10 days recovering in a hospital.

"It's a growing problem," he said. "It's bad any time you have to knock on a door and deliver the news that someone has been injured or killed in a crash. It's even worse when it happens during the holiday season.

"We want everyone to have a safe, happy holiday season, and that starts by acting responsibly."