Alcohol Abuse Advice

The evaluation process of DUI

If a person has been repeatedly arrested because of DUI then most states in the US will carry out an evaluation. An evaluation is done to assess if there is an alcoholic problem in the person. Extraordinary high doses of BAC on a regular basis indicate alcoholism and hence a proper rehabilitation program or DUI program maybe advocated. Here is a brief rundown on the evaluation process carried out.

Questions typically asked

There are certain typical questions asked in an evaluation process in a DUI case. Questions such as if time is lost from work because of drinking, if drinking is resulting in an unhappy family life, or if the trigger for drinking is because of having a shy or reserved nature etc. maybe asked during an evaluation. There may also be other questions asked such as if the reputation of the person is being risked because of drinking, if a drinking session results in a surge of guilt, if drinking is causing financial problems etc. Sometimes, a person may turn to bad company because of drinking. If family duties are being neglected because of drinking or if it is causing a lack of drive or ambition, then these are all telltale signs of an alcoholic problem.

What are DUI programs?

DUI programs are basically meant for habitual DUI offenders. Depending on the concentrations of BAC in the blood and the number of times the person has broken the law, the period of DUI will differ. The DUI programs help people to reduce their offences by addressing the root cause of the alcoholic problem. There are several DUI programs across states in the US. For example, Wet Reckless is a program that includes offenders with large concentrations of BAC and who have been driving recklessly repeatedly. California has First Offender DUI programs, which are essentially for first time offenders. Such persons are required to serve 3 month or 9 month DUI programs, according to the Alcohol Test and BAC levels in the blood. Then there are 18 month DUI programs, which are mainly for second time offenders while 30 month DUI programs are for people who have offended thrice or more.

Tenure of DUI programs

If a person repeatedly breaks the law because of DUI then he or she will be subjected to DUI programs. The tenure of such programs will vary depending on the number of times the offence has occurred. For a first time offender and for BAC levels below 0.20 the tenure is 3 months while for higher doses of BAC it is 9 months or more. For a second time offender the tenure extends between 18 to 30 months while for a third offence also the period of the DUI program is 18 to 30 months.

Addressing alcoholic problems

Through DUI programs, the offenders are made to realize the change in behavior and characteristics that alcohol induces. Offenders are also made to realize the inherent risks involved with drinking and driving and through a series of positive changes in their lifestyles, they can get rid of the drinking habit.