City of West Hollywood officials joined the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station, local Fire Stations 7 and 8, and Block by Block Security Ambassadors in reminding community members to be safe during the holidays and don’t drink and drive. This year there’s a reminder that driving under the influence of cannabis carries the same DUI designation as alcohol.
This past Wednesday, Community members joined city officials and Sheriff’s deputies in distributing 100,000 coasters at restaurants and bars in the heart of WeHo’s Boystown with printed messages reminding patrons not to drink and drive and to instead choose a designated driver, a ride share service, or a local taxi company. The coasters feature telephone numbers for taxicab companies that serve West Hollywood, a transit link to information about the City of West Hollywood’s free weekend trolley services which include the The PickUp, the Sunset Trip, and newly expanded Saturday evening service on the Cityline shuttle, which connects to the Metro Red Line at Hollywood and Highland. These three alternatives are free and help to not only curb alcohol or cannabis impaired driving, but they also ease parking, and reduce traffic congestion. Visit www.weho.org/transit for additional information about these services.
The City of West Hollywood has also debuted a Grinch-themed “Don’t Drive Impaired” WeHoTV NewsByte/Public Service Announcement (PSA) to encourage holiday revelers to utilize alternative forms of transportation if they partake in alcohol or adult-use cannabis consumption. While this PSA is a comedic take on driving under the influence, there are sobering statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about the dangers of DUI: every day, 29 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver; more than one-million drivers are arrested yearly for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics; and, marijuana users were approximately 25 percent more likely to be involved in a crash than drivers with no evidence of marijuana use.
The West Hollywood Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued the following safety tips:
- Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk — or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
- If you will be drinking or using marijuana, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins – a designated driver is someone who hasn’t had any alcohol or marijuana, not just the person who drank or smoked the least.
- If you have been drinking or using marijuana, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member, use a ride share service or public transportation, or call one of your local sober ride home programs.
- Be responsible. If someone you know is impaired, do not let that person get behind the wheel, and do not accept a ride with an impaired person.
- If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s annual Don’t Drink and Drive campaign, please call the City of West Hollywood’s Public Safety Department at (323) 848-6414.
