The end of the year is a time of celebration, whether it’s a matter of classic holiday activities, a celebration for the end of finals, or simply just because, we have a tendency to seek warmth in revelry when the weather starts to chill.
For many, that revelry comes in the form of alcohol.
“There is a noticeable increase in alcohol consumption during holidays, such as Christmas and New Year’s,” according to John Fromson in an article for the American Psychiatric Association from December 2023. “The allure of festive drinks and social gatherings often leads to more frequent and heavier drinking.”
While you drink, it is important to remain safe. There are a great many things that can make your drinking experience unsafe, luckily there are ways to remain safe even while having a good time this holiday.
AVOIDING SPIKED DRINKS
A major concern heading into events with drinking, especially those that might be in a public setting, is the concern of drinking spiking. While estimates vary, a 2016 study of college students by the American Psychological Association found that “more than 1 in 13 students reported being drugged.”
In an effort to hopefully curb further incidents, California introduced and passed Assembly Bill 1013 or the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which requires holders of an existing Type 48 license to have drug testing devices available for customers who request it.
A Type 48 license is the liquor license that is reserved for bars and nightclubs.
“Drug testing devices” means test strips, stickers, straws, and other devices designed to detect the presence of controlled substances in a drink.
One such drug testing device is the KnoNap, a napkin that upon saturation could detect the presence of drugs used to spike drinks and alert the user via a change in color. KnoNap was designed by Danya Sherman to help prevent drug assisted abuse.
“With the holiday season coming up, people tend to drink more, it’s important to raise awareness about ways to prevent drink spiking,” said Veronika Schmalfuss, head of outreach for KnoNap.
AB 1013 ensures that not only will there need to be drug testing equipment such as KnoNap available but also that there needs to be prominent signage displaying its availability upon request.
GETTING HOME SAFE
Another major issue around this time of year is the problem of DUI, according to the tracy police department.
“During the 2018-2022 December months, there were 4,759 people killed in alcohol-impaired crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,”“ reads a press release announcing a period of increased patrols to catch suspected drunk drivers
Whether spurred on by stress or revelry, the rise in drinking comes hand in hand with a rise in Alcohol impaired driving. “During the Christmas and New Year holiday periods, 40 percent of traffic-related deaths involve drunk drivers, which is a 12 percent increase compared to the rest of December.”
If you live outside of Stockton and are partying in it, you can always use the Van Go program to get a ride home. The services are unavailable on most holidays but any fun on other days can be made a whole lot safer.
The program is reservation based, with the rides being scheduled either through the app or a computer, so if you know you’ll need a ride ahead of time it can be a lifesaver.
For more information on how to use the Van Go Program see sanjoaquinrtd.com/van-go/
If you live or are staying in city limits, you may have to rely on ride share services such as Uber or Lyft to get home. If you’re trying to use these services during busier times, you may run into surge pricing.
“There are times when so many people are requesting rides that there aren’t enough cars on the road to help take them all,” reads the Uber website. “In these cases of very high demand, prices may increase to help ensure that those who need a ride can get one.”
Lyft, Uber’s biggest competitor, also factors in driver availability/demand into cost. “Lyft fare is based on ride route and ride type, as well as ride availability and demand. When many passengers in your area request a ride at the same time, ride prices will likely be higher than normal.“ reads their website’s support page for pricing and charges.
For more information on each of the companies pricing please consult their websites:
www.uber.com/us/en/drive/driver-app/how-surge-works/
help.lyft.com/hc/en-us/all/articles/115012925707-Ride-pricing-and-charges
