Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Safely
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day Safely

St. Patrick’s Day is approaching. As you plan how you’ll celebrate the day, be sure to keep how you’ll get home safely when the fun is over.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving is a leading cause of accidents and deaths on St. Patrick's Day.

Between 2017 and 2021, 272 Americans died as a result of drunk-driving crashes during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, with the highest percentage of accidents occurring on St. Patrick’s Day night.

Even if you’re not driving, it’s important to avoid overindulging, as walking while intoxicated can also be deadly. Drinking can impair your ability to assess the speed of approaching cars and slow your reaction time, making it difficult to cross roads safely. And the more you drink, the higher your risk. One study found that out of 176 pedestrian fatalities, 86 of those involved pedestrians who had been drinking, nearly all of whom had BACs of 0.10 percent or more.

 

There are ways to celebrate safely. These include:

  • Always drive 100% sober: Even one alcoholic beverage could be one too many. 

  • Plan ahead: Before you have even one drink, designate a sober driver to get you home safely. If you wait until you’ve been drinking to make this decision, you might not make the best one.

  • Be responsible: If it’s your turn to be the designated driver, take your job seriously and don’t drink. There are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages available that you will allow you to raise a glass and enjoy the fun without raising your blood alcohol content.

  • Make alternate plans. If your designated driver is unavailable, call a taxi or rideshare.

  • Set a limit. Before you head out, determine how many drinks you want to have in total throughout the day or how much you want to spend. Taking only the amount of cash needed for your plan or taking a pre-paid gift card can be a helpful signal it’s time to stop.

  • Pace yourself. Avoid drinking games and shots. Stick to one standard alcoholic beverage per hour with non-alcoholic drinks in between. Water is your friend.

  • Don’t forget to eat and stay hydrated. Breaking up your beverages with food and plenty of water will help your body handle alcohol better and ensure you enjoy the day a bit more safely.

  • Protect your friends (and others): If someone who has been drinking is about to drive, take their keys and find them safe transportation home. If you’re concerned someone has consumed alcohol to excess, seek emergency help. Finally, if you see someone driving drunk, contact local law enforcement.

 

You’re not spoiling the fun; you’re potentially saving a life.

 

Sean Burns, MD, is the SVMC EMS Medical Director/District 12 Medical Advisor. 

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COVID-19 in Pets

News of COVID-19 spreading to animals is causing understandable concern for pet owners, especially those who love their pets like family. While the virus is thought to have originated in animals, there is currently no evidence that pets can spread COVID-19 to humans. There is some evidence that people can spread it to their pets and pets can spread it to each other.

The good news is that the risk of spreading COVID-19 to pets still seems relatively low. Only a handful of confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been identified in animals worldwide. Nonetheless, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with their veterinary colleagues to learn more. In the meantime, it makes sense to adapt the people-centered recommendations for our furry friends.

Here's a pet-specific refresher to help further decrease the already low odds that your pet will become infected.

  • Just like people, cats and dogs should decrease their movement outside the home. So if you usually let your dog or cat roam in ways that could bring them into contact with other people or animals, it would be best to discontinue that practice for as long as human restrictions are in place.
  • When you take your dog for a walk, keep him or her leashed and keep at least 6 feet from others whenever possible. (Dogs cannot wear masks comfortably as humans can, so remaining distant is even more important for them.)
  • If someone in the house is ill, they should be isolated from both other people and animals in a "sick room," if possible. The ill person should wear a mask when near the pet and others and avoid direct contact, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, sleeping in the same location, and sharing food or bedding.
  • To keep pets and themselves safe, people should wash their hands before and after handling or caring for their pets, just as they would after having come in contact with another person or a surface that a person could have touched.
  • If your pet becomes ill with COVID-19 symptoms—including coughing, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, lethargy, sneezing, nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever—call your veterinarian, who will advise regarding testing and care and determine whether your state's public health veterinarian should be notified.

More information about protecting your pets from COVID-19, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html.

Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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