I have long espoused that alcohol classes should be mandatory for all those getting a boating license. I am not talking about a mere boating safety course which covers boating safety in general with a small section on alcohol and its effects on the human brain and body on the water, I am talking about a full-blown 8-hour level one alcohol awareness class.
Just last week I read about police having DUI checkpoints for boaters out on Lake Havasu in Arizona.
The Island in Lake Havasu City determined that 34 percent of 181 boat operators had consumed alcohol. The checkpoint was from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Who knows how bad it would have been by PM to midnight.
Eight boaters were arrested and charged with alleged OUI, or operating under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content that exceeded Arizona’s legal limit of .08 percent. Furthermore, three individuals were arrested and charged with underage consumption of alcohol.
Alcohol and the heat are always a dangerous combination, regardless of blood-alcohol. Just as with driving, boaters should assign a designated operator.
I stand by my idea that Arizona alcohol classes should be mandatory for all Arizona boating licenses.