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The INDEPENDENT, February 1, 2012
Use these tips and don’t drink and drive on Super Bowl Sunday
As thousands of Oregonians
join millions across the country
planning to gather and watch
America’s most popular sport-
ing event, the Super Bowl, law
enforcement and traffic safety
partners urge everyone not to
let drunk driving penalize your
plans. The U.S. Department of
Transportation and National
Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
istration (NHTSA), with support
from the National Football
League (NFL), have joined
forces with state and local high-
way safety and law enforce-
ment officials to spread an im-
portant safety message about
designating a sober driver on
Super Bowl Sunday – Fans
Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
“Make the right call and
have the keys in the hands of
your designated driver so
everyone can get home safely,”
said Captain Mike Dingeman,
director of the Oregon State
Police Patrol Services Division.
According to NHTSA, Super
Bowl Sunday has become one
of the nation’s most dangerous
days on the road due to im-
paired driving. Forty-eight (48)
percent of fatalities nationwide
on Super Bowl Sunday involve
a driver with a blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) of .08 per-
cent or higher.
Last year, two people died
on Oregon roads following
crashes after the conclusion of
the Super Bowl football game.
Both were in alcohol-involved
traffic crashes. Over the last
five years on Super Bowl week-
end, 11 people have died in
traffic crashes on Oregon
roads.
Oregon State Police, Ore-
gon State Sheriff’s Association,
Oregon Association of Chiefs
of Police, ODOT and MADD
stress that designating a sober
driver should be on the top of
Tips to stay safe during winter storms
Several Oregon counties
have experienced flooding due
to winter storms that moved
into the area recently. Oregon
Health
Authority’s
Public
Health Division wants to offer
simple tips on how Oregonians
can stay safe and healthy dur-
ing inclement weather.
“The floods this week will
leave devastation behind them,
and people will want to clean
up and repair their homes and
communities as soon as possi-
ble so they can move forward
with their lives and livelihoods.
Some simple precautions can
help protect their health as they
do so,” said Mel Kohn, M.D.,
M.P.H., Oregon Public Health
director on January 20.
Some tips to be safe during
and after the storm:
• Injury prevention: Stay out
of flood waters. Even the
strongest swimmers can drown
in flood waters. Do not drive
through standing water. Never
make contact with power lines
or objects that are in contact
with power lines. Wear eye pro-
tection when cleaning up storm
debris.
• Water: Check for local boil-
water advisories. Do not use
contaminated water to wash
dishes, brush teeth, prepare
food, make ice or make baby
formula.
• Well water: If your well has
been affected by flood waters,
it is recommended that you boil
your water for at least one
minute at a rolling boil, or pur-
chase water from a safe
source. Before resuming nor-
mal use of the well, have the
water tested for possible bacte-
ria and pollutants.
• Foods: Do not eat foods
that have come in contact with
flood waters. Throw away food
that cannot be kept cold or
properly heated due to lack of
power.
• Carbon monoxide poison-
ing: Don’t use a generator,
pressure washer, charcoal grill,
camp stove, or other gasoline-
or charcoal-burning device in-
side your home, basement, or
garage or near a window, door,
or vent. Carbon monoxide is a
colorless, odorless gas. If car-
bon monoxide poisoning is
suspected, seek fresh air and
consult with a health care pro-
fessional right away.
• Home safety: If there is
standing water in your home,
never turn power on or off your-
self – contact an electrician.
• Chainsaw safety: Wear ap-
propriate clothing, such as
safety glasses and heavy work
gloves. Always cut at waist lev-
el or below. With an electric
chain saw, use extreme caution
to avoid electrical shock. Avoid
contact with power lines.
• First aid: Immediately
clean all wounds with soap and
clean water. If your skin or eyes
come in contact with haz-
ardous materials wash thor-
oughly with decontaminated
water. Avoid getting cut be-
cause cuts can lead to tetanus.
If possible, make sure your
tetanus vaccination is up to
date.
• Mold: Remove mold by
washing with soap and water
and letting surfaces dry com-
pletely. Some materials such
as moldy clothing, ceiling tiles
and sheet rock may have to be
replaced. If mold-related illness
is suspected, consult a health
care professional.
For more information about
injury prevention, food safety,
wells, drinking water, and car-
bon monoxide during and after
flooding, go to public.health.
oregon.gov.
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
503-901-1705
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
Bus 503-357-3131 Fax 503-357-9667
bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
everyone’s Super Bowl party
list. Join their team and report
possible intoxicated drivers to
9-1-1 or Oregon State Police
dispatch at 1-800-24DRUNK
(800-243-7856).
If you are hosting a Super
Bowl party:
• Make sure all of your
guests designate their sober
drivers before kick-off or help
arrange ride-sharing with other
sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food and in-
clude lots of non-alcoholic bev-
erages at the party.
• Determine ahead of time
when you’ll stop serving alco-
hol, such as one hour before
the party ends or at the end of
the third quarter (just like NFL
stadiums) and begin serving
coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local
cab companies handy, and
take the keys away from any-
one who is thinking of driving
while impaired.
• Be prepared for guests to
spend the night if an alternative
way home is not available.
• Remember, you can be
held liable if someone you
served ends up in a drunk-driv-
ing crash.
If you are attending a Super
Bowl party or watching at a
sports bar or restaurant:
• Designate your sober driv-
er before the party begins and
give that person your car keys.
• Avoid drinking too much al-
cohol too fast. Pace yourself—
eat enough food, take breaks
and alternate with non-alco-
holic drinks.
• If you don’t have a desig-
nated driver, ask a sober friend
for a ride home; call a cab,
friend or family member to
come and get you; or just stay
where you are and sleep it off
until you are sober.
• Use your community’s
sober ride programs.
Remember, Fans Don’t Let
Fans Drive Drunk, and always
buckle up – it’s still your best
defense against other impaired
drivers.
Columbia County
Mental Health
800-294-5211
Domestic Abuse
-----------------
Suicide Hotline
1-800-
784-2433
or
or
1-800-273-
TALK(8255)
Hotline
503-397-6161
866-397-6161
-----------------
Military Helpline
888-HLP-4-VET
(888-457-4838)