Questions, Folks?

Restaurant group to hold question-and-answer session to clear any confusion about alcohol consumption during holidays

By Thomas Ragan

Tis the season for giving and drinking, and the latest to enter the fray in trying to curb drunken driving is the Greater Santa Fe Restaurant Association, which is inviting the public to a question-and-answer session on Tuesday afternoon.

Some of the state's highest ranking officials will be present to field questions from the audience, from Gregory Fouratt, the cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, to Pete Kassetas, chief of the New Mexico State Police, and Mike Unthank, superintendent of the Regulations and Licensing Department for the state.

Diana Trujillo, the executive director of the Restaurant Association, says some of the questions could include, "Can I sell a bottle of wine to a single customer to take home?" and "If I'm stopped at a DWI checkpoint and I admit to drinking a cocktail or two, will I be asked to step out of the car to take a sobriety test?"

The session will start at 2:30 pm and end at 4:30 pm, at the Santa Fe Convention Center.

It's just the latest measure underway to curb the consumption of too much alcohol in the region as Thanksgiving comes and goes and Christmas is upon us before we know it—with 80 proof alcohol to egg along the holiday cheer.

Santa Fe County last week took steps to encourage safe driving, letting residents know that they could dial a cab for a significantly reduced fares, and students in the Pojoaque Valley were out in full force with local cops, placings "sticker shock" labels on booze and wine, reminding adults that they shouldn't buy for under-age drinkers.

The subsidized rides, courtesy of the New Mexico Liquor Excise Tax, were available on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and another round of reduced fares will be available during the Christmas season, according to county officials.

The county feels the Cab Ride Home Program is effective in lowering drunken driving crashes and fatalities in Santa Fe, along with a stepped-up presence of Santa Fe cops and county sheriff deputies.

"Take a moment to remember that 'TwoTooMany' means that you could lose your car to forfeiture if arrested on a second DWI charge," according to the county press release.

But why run the risk and get charged with one DWI?

Santa Fe Reporter

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