Alcohol Education Courses in Montgomery County

When individuals are charged with DUIs in Montgomery County, it may be a good idea to consider taking an alcohol education course. Regardless of whether a court mandates attending a class or not, there are many valuable lessons that can be taken away from alcohol education courses. If you call and schedule a consultation, a Montgomery County DUI lawyer can provide more comprehensive details about alcohol education courses.

What Are Alcohol Education Courses in Montgomery County

An alcohol education course is a program that teaches people about the risks of consuming alcohol and what alcohol can do to them both physiologically and legally. Alcohol education generally is a 12-hour course in Maryland. It may be followed by a program of alcohol treatment as well, which can increase the amount of time spent in alcohol education and treatment. For many individuals, particularly first offenders with a lower breath alcohol content and no accidents, the only thing that they really will need to do is take basic program on alcohol education, which is a 12-hour course.

If there are some other factors such as high blows, prior alcohol offenses, or accidents, then that may trigger a greater need for treatment and that may involve alcohol education followed by treatment.

Advantages of Taking an Alcohol Education Course After DUI Charge

The main advantage is that it shows the judge that you are taking this incident very seriously. The sooner that you enroll for an alcohol treatment course the more it shows that you are taking it seriously. The best form of mitigation is when your attorney can tell the judge, “My client was involved in treatment within days of the incident.” The judges who are going to hear that are going to think, “Well, this was really a wake-up call and they are doing everything that they need to do address the issues raised by this incident.

How to Approach Alcohol Education Courses

They should attend when they are required to do so. They should not be late. They should show up dressed appropriately and—this should go without saying—they shouldn’t consume any alcohol prior to attending any of those courses.

Types of Alcohol Education Courses Available in Montgomery County

There are a wide variety of alcohol education programs:

  • 12-hour alcohol education course
    • A 12-hour course that is completed over 6 or 12 weeks. There is no treatment component and is only about teaching people the physiological and legal effects of alcohol.
  • Outpatient Alcohol Treatment
    • Next step after the 12-hour alcohol education course. People have the option of individual or group therapy for 14 weeks.
  • Intensive Outpatient Program
    • Multiple group and individual therapy sessions each week, in addition to AA meetings.
  • Inpatient Treatment
    • Varies in length of treatment, but individuals reside in a facility where you are provided continuous treatment and monitoring.

What type of treatment is appropriate is going to depend on the facts of an individual case. That is why it is important to speak to an attorney who can guide you as to what type of treatment might be appropriate based on the facts of your case.