When you take a day to wine taste in the beautiful Napa or Sonoma County and you pair a certain varietal with the perfect cheese, the last thing on your mind is your lack of sobriety. How does living in wine country affect the attitude towards DUIs? There is a huge difference between drinking multiple beers and shots at a dive bar and tasting wine at a beautiful winery with your sophisticated friends, though many people neglect to understand how wine tasting can be a huge influence of Napa and Sonoma County’s guests driving under the influence.
At Sonoma State, large events like Barrel Tasting, Pliny the Elder, Savor Sonoma, and April in Carneros are congregations that are celebrated to their fullest potential causing students to easily overdrink. Thankfully, all events are for 21+, though no matter the age the statistics are not surprising. In 2012, the entire state of California saw 0.8 arrests for every 100 people. Locally, that statistic rises to 1.2 per 100 people in Napa County, and 1 per 100 people has a DUI in Sonoma County.
Though what is the cause of driving under the influence? It is hard to pinpoint the direct issue since many wineries and the large tourist attractions bring in people who spend money and support our economy. Police have no way to regulate every event throughout the valley, as that would be nearly impossible. However, there has to be a point where the high rate is acknowledged and there should be steps taken towards wineries that over-pour. As much as I think they already regulate intake, there is hype towards these events make it much harder to actually take action. Many students and guests will pregame for an event that contains 12-14% alcohol without realize how drunk they are becoming.
There are many ways to explain why there are so many DUIs in surrounding counties, and police checkpoints are only a small step to regulating the problem. Having students support these events make sense since Sonoma State and Rohnert Park do not cater to the college atmosphere. Only a few times a year can we get dressed up, drink with our friends, and pray no one gets behind the wheel at the end of the day.
Lyft and Uber have made it easier than ever to not drink and drive. Just download one of the apps and put in your credit/debit card before you start drinking. Then you will never have to worry about not having cash, or not being able to find someone to come pick you up. Take advantage of these apps and never get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. A few extra bucks can save your life or someone else’s.