Don't Be Unlucky This St. Patrick's Day

In Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is held to honor their patron saint, Saint Patrick. He was brought to Ireland as a slave and after he escaped slavery he converted to Christianity and went back to Ireland as a missionary. He later became the leading bishop in the country and was named the country’s patron saint after he passed away on March 17, 461. Every year in Ireland a feast was held in his honor. When the Irish people began to immigrate to the United States they brought this tradition with them and it slowly grew to the big celebrations that are now held across the country.

Cities that have strong Irish roots in the US tend to have the biggest celebrations, like Butte, MT for example. That doesn’t mean that those celebrations haven’t spilled over to smaller towns and other areas creating an opportunity for people to have a good time and possibly drink a bit too much. Often times, having a holiday like this, which falls on the weekend, it brings with it a larger celebration where more alcohol is consumed. Sadly this often leads to people making dangerous decisions, like getting behind the wheel of a vehicle that they are not fit to drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 60 people died in drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday in 2016(NHTSA). This year St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Saturday and that same Saturday will also coincide with the start of prom season in Richland County. Don’t let your children become one of these fatalities.

By talking with your children about the dangers of underage drinking you can help them understand that driving or riding with a driver that is under the influence of alcohol is not a risk to take lightly. Many people will be “out on the town” for a night of fun and adding to traffic as Sidney has prom on the 17th. You can’t always count on someone else to do the safe thing and not drive when under the influence of alcohol. Remind your kids not to drink and drive and to be wary of other drivers this St. Patrick’s Day weekend. For those of you thinking of having a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, don’t forget your designated driver, the availability of the Sidney Shuttle and the Lyft driver in town as well. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the editor connect with District II Alcohol & Drug by phone and be sure to follow us on Facebook for future health and wellness ideas.

 

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