Holiday parties and year-end celebrations are here!  If you have something to drink, please be careful.  Because no matter how solid Reynolds Defense Firm is, or how great our Team is or how effective we are in court, we hope you never need to call us, and that goes double over the holidays.  You may have seen our Holiday Tips for 2017, here’s some additional once:

Tip #1 – Not all pints are created equal.  It’s no secret that we love our micro-brews in the Pacific Northwest.  But be careful when sampling our seasonal brews – some specialty microbrews can be pretty potent.  A single pint could have as much alcohol in it as half a six-pack of domestic beer.  So, enjoy your holiday beer, just be aware that not all pints are created equal.

Tip #2 – Load up your plate with snacks!  Having food in your stomach before that first drink can make a world of difference.  With food, the alcohol hits your bloodstream over a longer period of time, so there are no surprises.  With an empty stomach, the alcohol in your bloodstream can spike very quickly, leading to impairment with fewer drinks than you would expect.

Tip #3 – Stick with the drinks you know, if you need to drive later.  If you are a beer or wine drinker, avoid mixed drinks – you are used to drinking wine or beer at a certain ‘pace’.  If you use that same beer or wine pace with mixed drinks, you could end up drinking more alcohol in the same period of time than you intended.

Tip #4 – It’s all about the standard.  It’s the end of the night and as you look around you quickly see first, that you’re the most sober one in your group, and second, they shouldn’t drive. So, you step up. What you do next though is where folks can make a mistake. Don’t compare yourself to someone whose been drinking as you decide whether you should drive. Compare yourself to someone sober. That’s the standard police use, and it’s all about the standard. So, enjoy yourself, absolutely take care of your buddies, just don’t put yourself in harm’s way in the process

Tip #5 – Pace yourself! Some of these games/parties/holiday events can last a long time.  Don’t continue to drink at a fast pace throughout the entire evening.  Pace yourself with alcoholic drinks.  If you’re thirsty, rotate non-alcoholic drinks in between.

If you or someone you care about has been arrested for a DUI in Oregon, please call us at (503)223-3422.  We’re solid, we’re here if you need us and we’re very good at what we do.