Senators Are Not High and Mighty - Just DUI

 

Many people drink during the holidays, and as a result, many people are cited for drunk driving.  The people who earn our trust and votes, and who are thereby elected to public office unfortunately are no exception.   Though they may think they are high and mighty, it turns out they just have too much to drink every now and then.

At least that may have been the case with Senator Michael D. Crapo, a Republican from Idaho.  His party affiliation is identified here, though we caution you that no political party has the monopoly on substance abuse and addiction.  Alcohol tempts and seduces rich and poor, leaders and followers, bosses and workers, and Democrats and Republicans.  This time our post is about a Republican, but next time it is just as likely to be a drunk Democrat.  This is no political rant, folks. 

Senator Crapo was arrested in the wee hours of December 23rd for suspicion of drunk driving.  The story is here.   It is reported that his blood alcohol level was 0.11 percent - well over the 0.08 percent limit of Virginia where he was arrested.  If your blood alcohol level is 0.11, you may experience mood swings, feel angry or sad, have impaired reaction times, decreased motor control, stagger and speak with slurred speach.  We don't know how much the good Senator weighs, but to get a BAC of 0.11, a 200 lb. person would have to throw back around five drinks, at least according to this BAC chart.   

Senator Crapo is the fifth-ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee.  According to the biography on his website, Senator Crapo graduated from Brigham Young University and received his law degree from Harvard Law School.  After law school he clerked for the Ninth Circuit and became a partner in a law firm.

Return to Substance Abuse CLE