With Memorial Day weekend upon us as the unofficial kick off of summer, it’s important for people to remember to exercise caution when partaking in popular summer activities.

One area of particular note is when people are out boating on lakes and rivers, and they bring alcoholic beverages with them. Perry Parks and Recreation Aquatics Director Kami Kirchner says while having a few drinks on the water can be fun, it also comes with many dangers that people may not realize. “When you are out on the water, you are going to get drunk much faster than you would, say if you were at a bar in town. Because the sun shining on you affects that, surprisingly the glare off of the water causes you to get intoxicated more quickly, and the movement of the water also increases the effects of the alcohol. It can just create a really dangerous situation, if someone accidentally falls in the water and they’re not able to help themselves because they’re impaired. Go out, have fun, but be smart.”

Kirchner adds, much like people can get OWI citations for driving drunk on land, they can also be charged with boating while intoxicated (BWI), which carries similar penalties. To learn more about water safety, click the link below to listen to the Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Kirchner.

https://raccoonvalleyradio.com/2018/05/lets-talk-dallas-county-5232018-kami-kirchner/