RDF’s Holiday Tips – 2025 

‘Tis the season for holiday gatherings, and along with the many opportunities to celebrate, there are also ways for folks to have more to drink than they intended. To help head that off, we’ve put together a list of practical holiday tips to keep you and the people you care about safe during this season:

Tip #1 – Not all glasses of wine are the same.

Perhaps you’ve heard our tips about the amount of alcohol in micro brews; don’t forget about the size of your glass. Many wine pours are equal to 2 or even 3 standard glasses of wine. So, you think you’ve only had a couple of glasses when it’s time to go home. In reality, you may have had as many as 4 or 5.

Tip #2 – Make sure you’re stocked up.

You’d be surprised how many clients we see that took a cab home. Then, they went out to for cigarettes or something to eat and got arrested for a DUI. Make sure once you get home safely that you stay there for the night. Don’t get back in your car, even if its “just down the street”.

Tip #3 – Don’t rely on the one drink per hour “rule”.

For some people, one alcoholic drink should be absorbed and eliminated from the body in an hour. Unfortunately, we have seen time and time again where a client followed this “rule” and was still arrested for a DUI.  Many factors including weight, gender, stomach contents, and even hydration can affect exactly how long it will take for your body to process alcohol through your system, so the rate is not the same for everyone.

Tip #4 – Watch for friendly pours.

Everyone wants their guests to have a good time, so your host means well when they keep refilling your glass. Over the course of the evening, these “friendly pours” can add up, so make sure you are the only one in charge of how much you drink.

Tip #5 – Set yourself up for success.

Plan ahead so you can relax and have a good time and don’t get stuck making logistical decisions after you’ve had a few drinks. Download the Uber or Lyft app on your phone before you go out, make sure your car is parked somewhere where you can leave it overnight if you need to, or, better yet, leave your car at home. Give yourself every opportunity to not “have to” drive at the end of your evening.

Common sense sometimes goes out the window when alcohol is consumed. Having a clear plan before your next holiday event can help you stay safe this holiday season. An Oregon DUI can not only cause danger to yourself and others, but it can also come with other problems. Those problems include jail time, loss of a job, and the life disruption of resolving criminal charges.

If you do run into trouble:

We hope you never need to call us and that goes doubly during the holidays, but if you find you or someone you care about arrested for a DUI in Oregon, call RDF for your FREE, confidential consultation where we will help you understand what you’re facing and how to make the best decisions for you and your family.