We’re approaching St. Patrick’s Day, a holiday that, in terms of alcohol consumption, has certainly strayed from its heritage. Depending on whose survey you believe, St. Patrick’s Day is either the second- or fourth-biggest drinking day of the year in America.
Quite a claim for a day that was originally celebrated by going to Mass and honoring St. Patrick as the founder of Christianity in Ireland in the fifth century. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday filled with green food, green costumes, green beer, and DUI’s.
A Question from a DUI perspective: Do you get drunker if you drink green beer?
Answer: OK, this is not a scientific query. I made that question up. We all know that green beer doesn’t get you drunker than regular beer. Or does it? Actually, if you drink a lot of it, more than usual, yes you will get drunker.
So, keep this in mind, as this year St. Patrick’s Day could be stretched into a 3-day event.
Law enforcement officers statewide will be working more than 100 overtime shifts to deter, detect and remove drunk drivers from Utah’s roads. The extra enforcement will include a DUI blitz held by the Utah Highway Patrol in Salt Lake County on Friday night,” according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Law enforcement from all over the state are encouraging people to have fun and enjoy this green holiday, but be safe and smart at the same time. Remember what I have stated for years, if you drink, don’t drive. But, if you do and you get arrested, know who to call.
Now, to debunk a few Irish myths:
Pinching people who don’t wear green: Apparently, leprechauns (which have nothing to do with St. Patrick) pinch everyone they see, but they can’t see people who wear green. The idea is that you’re supposed to pinch people who aren’t wearing green to remind them that they could get pinched by a leprechaun for not wearing green. I’d argue that getting pinched by a human to warn me that I might get pinched by a leprechaun is worse than the risk of getting pinched by a leprechaun because leprechauns are short and I can probably outrun them. This tradition was started in America, probably because Americans have no clue about what leprechauns really do.
Four-leaf clovers: According to legend, St. Patrick used a three-leaf shamrock as a metaphor for the Christian concept of the trinity, but four-leaf clovers are lucky, and there’s “the luck of the Irish” so the clover won out.
St. Patrick’s Day parades, corned beef, the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” Lucky Charms cereal, and the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake: All from America.
Know the law. Know your rights. Know the right attorney.
Kelly Cardon, Attorney at Law, DUI Specialist
(801) 627-1110 Ogden – (801) 328-1110 Salt Lake City
