You may be attending Vanderbilt, Fisk or one of the other fine universities or colleges in Tennessee. Like many other college students, you may also engage in binge drinking. If you drink and drive - and many binge drinkers see no problem with getting behind the wheel - you risk being charged with DUI. What happens to your future plans if you are convicted?
A common practice
According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in the U.S. Department of Justice, people between 12 and 20 drink 11 percent of the alcohol consumed in our country. Most of these people admit to binge drinking, a practice that is popular among high school and college students.
Understanding the situation
While their parents may drink socially or enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, the binge drinker in the family may only indulge one evening a week with friends. According to underage drinking statistics collected by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, only one in 100 parents is aware that their child is a binge drinker. The term "binge" refers to imbibing an amount of alcohol that brings the blood alcohol content level in your system to 0.08 percent or higher. More specifically, the practice involves having a minimum of five drinks in a row for men and four for women in a period of about two hours.
Facing reality
Once you have been convicted of driving under the influence, you have a criminal record, which will follow you for years. If you are about to apply for college, your application may be rejected. If you are already a college student planning to apply for graduate school, you may not be admitted. That DUI mark on your record can prevent you from obtaining a coveted degree, certification or professional license. It can absolutely alter your plans for the future.
If you have been arrested for DUI or another alcohol-related crime, you need to remember that there are defenses. It may be possible to avoid conviction, or at the least, to minimize the consequences. Speak with an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as possible.