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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Ways to Help

At this difficult time, leaders and staff at Southwestern Vermont Health Care appreciate support from our communities. There are three major ways for members of the community to help front-line staff in their efforts to save lives.


Donate Funds
If you are able, donating money to the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund is the most beneficial way to ensure staff have the vital equipment they need. The COVID-19 Relief Fund will be used to create additional negative pressure rooms; purchase life-saving supplies, such as ventilators, respirators, additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); implement a surge plan to expand patient care areas, including an off-site Respiratory Evaluation Center (REC); support of employees in distress; meet the need for assistance among patients and our communities. And now the CARES Act makes donating to non-profits more beneficial financially. Donations may be made online at svhealthcare.org/give-now.


Send Food to Staff
SVMC deployed an online tool to facilitate community members sending meals to front-line staff during the COVID-19 crisis. Community members can visit mealtrain.com/trains/v1w8yz and volunteer to purchase a meal for as few as two staff members or as many as 25. All recommended restaurants will make no-contact deliveries to SVMC in Bennington, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation in Bennington, and the Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Hoosick Falls, NY.

 

Donate Personal Protective Equipment
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is requesting the community to assist with donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The hospital currently needs the following PPE: N95 Masks, typically found in industrial businesses and home workshops; Nitrile gloves in all sizes; home-sewn cotton masks; and home-sewn cloth surgical caps, known also as scrub caps and skull caps. PPE donations are accepted through Catherine Hagadorn, program coordinator for the Quality, Safety, and Value Department, by e-mailing Catherine.Hagadorn@svhealthcare.org or calling 802-447-5600.

 

SVHC's medical team and essential staff are extremely grateful to the community for every contribution. Thank you! 

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