DUI

DUI arrests have long been a hot button issue and fodder for easy headlines, especially when celebrities are involved. So it was no surprise to see the internet light up with this morning’s announcement that Michael Phelps was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in Baltimore. What many of the reports have failed to note, however, is that Phelps has the right to the presumption of innocence and due process. According to local news station WBALTV 11, an officer was driving southbound on the I-395 when a white 2014 Land Rover was picked up by radar and estimated to be traveling 84 mph in a 45 mph zone. Phelps, who was identified during the traffic stop, also allegedly crossed a double lane within the Fort McHenry Tunnel on Interstate 95 around 1:40 a.m. Many news sites noted this is Phelps’ second DUI arrest. According to court records, Phelps…

Written by a Staff Writer The Washington Post reported earlier that an alleged drunk driver hit a Maryland state trooper on the Capital Beltway in Greenbelt on Tuesday. The officer was standing on the shoulder of the Capital Beltway’s inner loop and was in the middle of conducting a traffic stop when the accident occurred at about 2:30 a.m., according to police. The trooper had apparently pulled over the other car near the Greenbelt Metro exit just before he was hit. The driver side door of the other vehicle was open and as the alleged intoxicated driver drove past he struck the stopped car’s door and grazed the officer’s back. Another state trooper then reportedly pursued the SUV for about a mile before the driver stopped. He has been identified as Franklin Humberto Hernandez, 42, of Hyattsville, Maryland. Hernandez was charged with DUI and several other offenses. The state trooper…

By Julia Cole In a dangerous new trend among teens, alcohol is being consumed via breath instead of the old-fashioned method of imbibing. According to CBS New York, teens have started vaporizing, or “vaping,” alcohol in order to experience a quicker, stronger, and longer-lasting buzz. The vaping process involves heating up the alcohol and then inhaling the fumes, usually through a straw. This latest trend enables individuals to get drunker, faster. Normally when a person drinks, the alcohol is slowly absorbed by the body over time. When the alcohol is vaporized and then inhaled, it goes directly into the blood stream through the lungs. That means teens get drunk quicker and stay drunk longer, according to experts. Alcohol should be consumed responsibly in any form, but there are myriad risks associated with inhaling alcohol instead of drinking it. The speed and intensity at which the alcohol is consumed when inhaled…