Herald-Star
Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Booze and Cruise, You'll Lose
Program comes to Catholic Central High School

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By Jeanne Yenchochic
Staff Writer

STEUBENVILLE - High school students know about the dangers of drinking and driving. They can hurt themselves, their family, their friends and complete strangers. But many are unaware of how they can hurt themselves when drinking and how it relates to the law.

In order to better educate students on drinking and the law, the Booze and Cruise, You'll Lose program was presented at Catholic Central High School during an assembly Tuesday in Lanman Hall.

Attorney Chris Turak of the law offices of Gold, Khourey & Turak of Moundsville, spoke to the CCHS student body about the law and how it relates to those who drink and drive.

"I guarantee you know very little about drinking and driving and the law," he said.

Turak said the students took a Booze buster Quiz prior to the assembly, and based on the students' answers, that's how he presented the program.

Also taking part in the program were George Bamberger, marketing director for Gold, Khourey & Turak; Cpl. Jason Laing of the West Virginia State Police; and Jeff Oechslein, WTOV-TV 9 meteorologist.

"I'm not here to paint grisly pictures (of driving drunk)," Turak said. "I'm here to talk to you about drinking and driving and the law."

The students were made aware of the fact that they can be pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence even if no alcohol had been consumed.

"If the police think you are driving impaired, it doesn't matter what the cause is," Turak said.

Laing said impaired driving can be caused by drugs, sleep medications, and pain killers.

Turak also explained that a person can be charged with a DUI even if he or she was not operating a motor vehicle at the time. He said it happens a lot when a person is too drunk to drive his or her own car, hands the keys to a relative or friend, who is just as drunk or has had only a few drinks, and that person gets pulled over.

"You can't give your car to someone who is drinking," Turak said.

There is a human cost with someone getting behind the wheel of a car after drinking, and it does not always deal with a person dying, Turak said.

In addition to the quiz and information section, a mock arrest was conducted by laing to show students how an arrest would be made in the event he, or another law enforcement agent, was in a situation where taking a person into custody was warranted.

"I was surprised," senior Jared Gilham said of being chosen to participate in the arrest.

Gilham was given a variety of standardized field sobriety tests, which included following a pen with his eyes, walking in a straight line, balancing on one foot and touching his hands to his nose.

Fatal Vision Goggles were given to Gilham to give him the "feeling" of being drunk, thus hindering his ability to perform some of the tasks accurately.

"There is no way you could ever drive and don't ever think you could," he said of the effects the goggles, which simulated .10 intoxication level, had on him.

Laing said the arrest portion of the program is important because "young students are visually impacted and this is a way in an academic setting to visually impact a student."

Not even the disabled are immune from being administered a field sobriety test, according to Laing. Different tests can be given for someone who, according to Laing, is a paraplegic. He said he can have them recite the alphabet and conduct a hand slap test in addition to viewing their motor skills.

Students also learned from Laing that they can be arrested for a DUI even if they were stopped for another reason. "Ninety-five percent of the arrests over my career have been for reasons other than DUI."

"Our motivation is solving crime and the best way is by getting in contact with as many people as we can," said Laing.

He had the students acknowledge that many believe officers are just out to get them, but he explained that once he picked up a man for speeding only a few miles over the speed limit, and the man had a warrant out for his arrest because he had kidnapped a boy and stabbed the mother.

It's not harassment," Laing said of officers pulling drivers over for minor incidents, including speeding or stop sign violation or a broken taillight.

Junior Maria Sengenberger said she enjoyed seeing the different areas - attorneys and law enforcement - come together for the "common good" of informing students of the dangers of drinking and driving. "It helps bring the program full circle," she said.

This is the first year that the Booze and Cruise, You'll Lose program has visited CCHS, and it's one assembly that Principal Denise Reinert-McKeown said is important, since it can help teach students that the actions they take now can affect their lives not only in the immediate future but years from now as well.

"The program shows a realistic picture from the law enforcement side and what they look for (during the field sobriety test)," Reinert-McKeown said.

The Booze and Cruise, You'll Lose program was founded in 1992 to educate members of the community about the consequences of drinking and driving, encourage individuals not to drive while under the influence of drug and alcohol and to make safe decisions, according to George Bamberger, Jr., marketing director.

Sponsors of the program include the attorney offices of Gold, Khourey & Turak, West Virginia State Police, WTOV-TV and the Wheeling Nailers.