I can only imagine how stressful life is playing professional gold. As a duffer myself, I still feel the pressure when hitting the links with my buddies. A few weeks ago I blogged about Rachel Connor, a female professional golfer arrested for driving under the influence in Florida.

Now comes the story of a male golfer getting arrested in another winter-time paradise, Arizona.

Australian pro golfer Matthew Giles was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he crashed his car into a home in a neighborhood just outside Phoenix.

The police report claims that Giles was "travelling at a very high rate of speed and tried to make a left turn" when he lost control of his car and it crashed into a single-family home Monday night.

The 22-year-old Giles was lucky he was not killed as the accident ruptured a natural gas line.

They say Giles was given sobriety tests at the crash scene and results are expected in about two weeks.

Giles finished 66th in the Nationwide Tour's TPC Stonebrae Championship in California the day before the crash.

Giles is a native of Sydney, but the former University of Southern California star lives in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale.

He is young enough to overcome one incident like this. Giles needs to take an Arizona DUI class and stay away from alcohol. It will not help his career or health to continue drinking.

Alcohol certainly makes people do stupid things.  If you get caught driving under the influence (DUI), it is one ticket you are not likely to get out of.  This is true even if you are an incredibly attractive, young woman.

In fact, Miss Teen Arizona in 2010 was arrested on suspicion of DUI. Tori Vance, 18-year-old ex-Miss Arizona Teen USA, was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn in Hollywood.  Would she have made the decision to make an illegal U-turn?

Driving a Mini Cooper, Ms. Vance failed a field sobriety test and was booked for misdemeanor DUI.

A blood-alcohol concentration showed she was barely over the legal limit of .08.

Tori is young enough that with alcohol classes and support she can get her life back in order.

What Was Mom Thinking?

There is no doubt many of today’s parents are over-scheduled, running from one event to another.  Here is one story of a mom who made some very bad decisions.

First there was the case of the man speeding at 104 mph with two kids in tow because they were late for a youth soccer game. Now, here’s the story of a woman driving drunk at 100 mph because she was late to her child’s birthday party.

Police in Sonoma County, CA arrested 34-year-old Katherine Russell after she sped past them in her Toyota 4Runner at 90 mph in a construction zone. By the time he caught up to her, she was going 100 mph.

Russell failed a Breathalyzer test blowing more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

She was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, driving without a license and traffic violations.  You can add child endangerment and other charges as well.

Endangering your children like that is criminal.  I am sure she is ashamed of her actions.  Hopefully, this is an isolated incident, although I would guess not.  I would like to see her take a level 3 24-hour alcohol class and get counseling for a possible drinking problem.

When you think of the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo what comes to mind? If you are Mexican you might celebrate the day with food and drink. This too is the case for Americans and others looking for an opportunity to celebrate.

Most certainly, alcohol has become a major part of many Cinco de Mayo celebrations both within the Mexican community and especially others.

Here’s what Cinco de Mayo has become in the U.S.: a celebration of all things Mexican, from mariachi music to sombreros, marked by schools, politicians and companies selling everything from beans to beer.

Linked to the US Civil War

And here’s what Cinco de Mayo is not according to jconline.com, despite all the signs in bar windows inviting revelers to drink: It’s not Mexico’s Independence Day, and it’s barely marked in Mexico, except in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is rooted in a complicated and short-lived 1862 military victory over the French.

The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most are unaware of its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for blacks.

Often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (that’s Sept. 16), Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla between the victorious ragtag army of largely Mexican Indian soldiers against the invading French forces of Napoleon III. Mexican Americans, during the Chicano Movement of the 1970s, adopted the holiday for its David vs. Goliath storyline as motivation for civil rights struggles in Texas and California.

With many more people celebrating it in the US, Cinco de Mayo is an American holiday. It is another excuse for people to get together and drink vast quantities of booze. 

For those of you who enjoy celebrating the battle and just getting together I apologize. As a counselor for both in-class and online alcohol classes I know from my students’ experiences that this is a major day to party.

As a fan of all baseball I followed the high school career of Matt Bush with great enthusiasm. As a San Diego Padres fan I was both excited, yet disappointed when the team selected Bush with the #1 overall pick in the 2004 draft.

I was excited because he was a dynamic player. I was disappointed because I wanted the team to draft Jarrod Weaver.

Now, at the ripe age of 24, according to the Sporting News, Bush’s career could be over unless he pulls a miracle like Texas Rangers’ all-star Josh Hamilton.

Now pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays minor-league team, Bush, who remained in jail today after last week’s DUI hit-and-run accident that left a motorcyclist hospitalized in critical condition, won’t ever play for the Rays.

Bush has battled alcohol abuse since he was the No. 1 overall draft pick as a shortstop by the San Diego Padres. He is facing seven charges from the incident.

The motorcyclist was hit by Bush’s SUV from behind, with the rider sustaining multiple injuries including broken ribs, several broken bones in his back, a broken wrist, road rash covering both arms, hemorrhaging in his brain and a collapsed lung.

Bush, who has admitted to having an alcohol problem, went through rehab in 2010 before signing with the Rays as a minor league free agent. He was randomly tested for alcohol when he first joined the organization, but those tests ended when he was placed on the 40-man roster before the 2011 season and became a member of the Major League Baseball Players Association.

The cyclists fell from the motorcycle and his head was run over by the SUV driven by Bush, who then left the scene but was later arrested and charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. He blew a .180 blood-alcohol level on a field sobriety test.

Good God how alcohol kills true talent. Bush has had many run-ins but is still young enough to rebound from this situation. With an 16 hour alcohol awareness class, (perhaps a California alcohol class), AA meetings, counseling and dedication to staying sober, perhaps Bush’s God-given talents can be witnessed by everyone.

Do you think it should be mandatory for anyone who is convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) to have a breath monitor placed on their steering wheel? How about if they have been convicted twice? Three times?

Congress can be quite frustrating in its ineptitude and inability to quorum. It now has another big banana on its plate.

Tucked into the Senate’s transportation bill is a provision that directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study “more widespread deployment of in-vehicle technology” that would prevent drunken driving. This as reported in Politico.

In-Car Technology

The idea is to develop some kind of nonintrusive technology based around touch or breathing that would be able to sense when a driver is drunk and disable the car. Technology on the market now — called “ignition interlocks” — require a driver to blow into a Breathalyzer device attached to the car’s dashboard and then wait 30 seconds until the sample is analyzed. Only then will the car start.

Does that sound intrusive? Not to me it doesn’t.

The research is trying to develop a “far less intrusive” technology more acceptable to the general public, which consumers eventually would be able to choose as an option on a new car — similar to picking leather seats or a sunroof. That sure might make some parents of teenagers feel more comfortable about loaning them the car on a Saturday night.

1^st Time Offenders Get Steering Wheel Breathalyzer

One stipulation in the bill mandates states enact a law that requires first-time DUI offenders to install an ignition interlock device if they want to continue driving, if the states want about 5 percent of their regularly allocated safety money.

I, for one, think it should be mandatory for at least a year after a first offense. Plus a DUI class or alcohol awareness class. Research continues to show that for each time a driver is arrested for Dui they may have driven hundreds of other times while under the influence.

You want to talk about falling flat on your face. Combine falling on your face with bad luck and being extremely intoxicated. Do you think is a recipe that is going to end well?

A Tennessee man is a textbook example of a guy who needs to have his license permanently revoked according the Herald Citizen.

His name and story could have come right out of a Carl Hiaasen novel.

Marlin Glenn Wallace was arrested for his fourth DUI last week after swerving into oncoming traffic in front of an off-duty Baxter police officer. The incident occurred just before midnight.

The off-duty officer had to swerve into someone’s front yard to avoid a head-on collision. The officer then followed the vehicle into a parking lot and witnessed Wallace, step out of his truck and fall face-first.

It took two officers to haul the virtually dead-on-his-feet Wallace to the tailgate of his truck.  The officers could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from Wallace, who also had red, watery eyes and slurred and impaired speech, in addition to his inability to stand. After being checked out by EMS for a cut on his nose and forehead from his fall, Wallace was subjected to two field sobriety tests.

Not surprisingly he failed both.

Four DUIs is permanent revocation of driving privileges. He also should take a mandatory Tennessee DUI class and attend regular AA meetings.

The list of Hollywood celebrities that get in trouble for addictive behavior could go on for pages. Lindsay Lohan may be the current poster child, but Amanda Bynes is the young Hollywood starlet getting into most of the trouble these days.

The 26-year-old has had at least three run-ins with the law of late, all involving her vehicle. Most recently, according to celebuzz.com,  she was confronted by police after an alleged hit-and-run. This coming just a month following her DUI arrest after hitting a police cruiser.

The star of She’s The Man sideswiped yet another vehicle while driving around Los Angeles last week. Bynes’ black Range Rover allegedly sideswiped a pick-up truck and continued to drive off without stopping. The other driver followed Amanda’s car and quickly informed the police of the incident.

The damage was so minor that police decided not make any arrest and simply took a traffic report before sending her on her way. On a positive note, Bynes was cooperative and there was no indication she was under the influence.

The actress’s driving records have not been the best recently. On April 5th, an intoxicated Amanda was pulled over after scrapping a police cruiser in Hollywood. She was later released after posting $5,000 bail. Just days later, Bynes was seen texting and driving outside the Chateau Marmont — an illegal offense in the state of California.

She is one of the current Hollywood poster children for hard partying. I hope she gets to take a good 8 hour alcohol class and seek some professional counseling. I would hate to see Amanda life and career ruined by alcohol.

Matthew Fox — the man who saved the island on “Lost” has been arrested in Oregon for driving under the influence (DUI).

The 45-year-old Fox was arrested 3:23 a.m. in Bend, Ore., where he lives with his wife and two children. Why do people try drinking and driving? Obviously Fox had to know he was intoxicated when he and a companion went on a food run in the middle of the night after serious binge drinking, right?

This is not the actor’s first run-in with the law. Last year he had an altercation with a Cleveland bus driver, who claimed the actor punched her in the breast, groin, arm and legs after she refused to let him board a private party bus. No criminal charges were ever brought against Fox, but the driver, Heather Bormann, filed a civil suit seeking monetary damages. While that case has not commenced, Fox responded with a countersuit seeking a jury trial in the case.

On “Lost” Fox played Jack Shephard the lead character. He recently finished shooting two films, “Alex Cross” (the one he was working on last year in Ohio and that co-stars Tyler Perry) and Brad Pitt’s “World War Z.” He also stars opposite Tommy Lee Jones in the film “Emperor,” which will be shown at this month’s Cannes Film Festival.

Two run-ins is a bad sign for Mr. Fox. I think he should take an alcohol class and seek counseling for problematic behavior. This is as reported in the Washington Post.

Yes, that headline is true, especially for women. You see an alcohol class can really sink in the dangerous consequences of consuming alcohol. Alcohol is a poison and does the body no good whatsoever. For women, it can be lethal.

Study according to belfasttelegraph.co.uk shows that those who enjoy wine with dinner are putting their lives at risk

They are the problem drinkers missed by government efforts to curb alcohol misuse – women, often middle-class and professional, who share a bottle of wine with a partner over dinner each night, putting their health at risk.

Unnoticed because they do not cause a social nuisance or public disorder, women who quietly drink three or more glasses of wine, or equivalent, a day increase their risk of breast cancer by up to half, research shows.

Alcohol is known to increase the risk of several cancers, in both sexes, including bowel cancer. But breast tissue is thought to be particularly sensitive to its carcinogenic effects according to a review of research by Helmut Seiz, of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and colleagues.

Women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have an increased risk of breast cancer of 4 per cent, in line with previous findings, based on an analysis of 113 studies involving 77,000 light drinkers. Among heavy drinkers, defined as three or more drinks a day, the risk is increased to 40 to 50 per cent. Overall, alcohol drinking accounts for one in 20 cases of cancer in northern Europe and one in 10 in countries such as Italy and France, where drinking is more widespread among women.

Breast cancer has soared in recent decades with new cases doubling since the early 1970s, partly driven by the rise in alcohol consumption. It is now the commonest cancer, with almost 49,000 cases and 12,000 deaths a year, despite affecting only one sex.

However, it is less common than heart disease and strokes, which together kill 200,000 people a year – and alcohol is known to protect against these diseases. In women, as little as one drink a week cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke by 36 per cent according to a 2007 European study.

The upshot is that light drinking is overall protective – but heavier drinking is associated with rapidly increasing risks. Experts say weighing up these risks is a matter of personal choice. Although heart disease is more common, cancer is more feared. Women with a family history of heart disease may feel differently from those with a history of cancer.

Three times more alcohol is now consumed per head as in the 1950s and it is estimated to cause 30,000 to 40,000 deaths a year. In addition to bowel cancer and breast cancer, there is also evidence that alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the liver, oesophagus, mouth, pharynx and larynx. In total, scientists estimate alcohol causes 20,000 cases of cancer a year.

The authors of the latest study, published in Alcohol and Alcoholism, suggest the effect of alcohol on the breast may be hormonal by raising levels of oestrogen. But they show no acknowledgment of the fact that many people enjoy a drink which plays an important part in their social lives.

One glass

Increases risk of breast cancer by 4 to 5 per cent.

Two glasses

Increase the risk by 25 to 35 per cent.

Three glasses

Increase the risk by 40 to 50 per cent. 

While an alcohol class might be a start, the man from India who murdered his wife over being refused alcohol needs serious help. It all started out as a pleasant family vacation. However, when a severe alcoholic was denied his “needed” beverage, he exploded in rage and ruining his life and the life of his family.

Virender Singh was arrested for murdering his wife according to www.hindustantimes.com. The witness – his wife – who did not die initially and revealed her murderer on her dying hospital bed.

The details are gruesome. Darshani Devi was burnt alive by her husband at their rented accommodation following an argument

The 38-year-old woman was burned to death by her alcoholic husband when she refused to give him money for alcohol. It is even sadder that they had three children; the eldest among who is her 16-year-old son, who also bore witness to the incident.

Just how far will someone go to get alcohol? Just how much damage can alcohol do to the brain? I would like to think at one point this was an intelligent and charming man.

Take note folks of how far you can fall. If you or someone you care about has a drinking problem, please seek help immediately. If you prefer to maintain anonymity there are online alcohol classes too.