OUI Prevention

Maine OUI Prevention

Alcohol Abuse and Getting Help:

Alcohol abuse can be influenced by a number of factors. Most people use alcohol socially to change how they feel because they want to feel better or different. They use alcohol for the perceived benefits, or the benefits experienced, not for the potential harm. People use alcohol to relax, have fun, to be part of a group, out of curiosity, and to escape from physical and/or psychological pain. Many of the reasons young people use alcohol are the same reasons adults use alcohol.

What causes alcohol abuse? Many factors influence a person’s initial alcohol use. Personality characteristics, peer pressure, and psychological stress can all contribute to the early stage of alcohol abuse. These factors are less important as alcohol use continues and the person repeatedly experiences the potent pharmacological effects. This chemical action, which stimulates certain brain systems, produces the abuse, while other psychological and social factors become less and less important in influencing the individual’s behavior. When the pharmacological action of a drug dominates the individual’s behavior and the normal psychological and social control of behavior is no longer effective, the abuse is fully developed. This chemically induced “loss of control” is a common feature of alcohol abuse and reflects the biological nature of the problem.

People who are physically dependent on alcohol usually develop a tolerance. This means that they need to drink more and more to get the same effect. School and job performance may suffer either from the aftereffects of drinking or from actual intoxication on the job or at school; child care or household responsibilities may be neglected; and alcohol-related absences may occur from school or job. The person may use alcohol in physically hazardous circumstances (e.g., driving an automobile or operating machinery while drunk). Legal difficulties may arise because of alcohol use (e.g., arrests for intoxicated behavior or for driving under the influence). Finally, individuals with alcohol abuse problems may continue to consume alcohol despite the knowledge that continued consumption poses significant social or interpersonal problems for them (e.g., violent arguments with spouse while intoxicated, child abuse). When these problems are accompanied by evidence of tolerance, withdrawal, or compulsive behavior related to alcohol use, a diagnosis of alcohol addiction, rather than alcohol abuse, should be considered.

Maine OUI Statistics

In Maine, as with many states, drunk driving deaths have dropped significantly in the twenty four years since tracking began. Alcohol related fatalities peaked in 1983 at 135 and decreased by more than half to 51 in 2002. The percentage of fatalities that were alcohol related also dropped by more than half, from 60% to 23%. In 2005, out of all traffic fatalities, 30% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.

Table 1: Alcohol Related Fatalities
Year Fatalities
Tot Alc-Rel % 0.08 + %
1982 166 94 56 53 50
1983 224 135 60 122 54
1984 232 132 57 118 51
1985 206 112 54 92 45
1986 214 113 53 94 44
1987 232 119 51 95 41
1988 256 103 40 88 34
1989 194 70 36 64 33
1990 213 94 44 75 35
1991 205 83 41 59 29
1992 214 90 42 78 36
1993 185 77 42 64 35
1994 188 66 35 55 29
1995 187 58 31 52 28
1996 169 65 38 52 31
1997 192 65 34 58 30
1998 192 55 28 49 25
1999 181 60 33 53 29
2000 169 51 30 43 25
2001 192 65 34 61 32
2002 216 50 23 47 22
2003 207 75 36 69 33
2004 194 70 36 58 30
2005 169 59 35 50 30

MADD mission statement:

MADD believes it’s possible for our nation to eliminate the tragedy of drunk driving and prevent underage drinking. And we are committed to serving drunk driving victims/survivors. Since 1980 (the year Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded), alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased by about 44 percent, from over 30,000 to under 17,000 and MADD has helped save over 300,000 lives. Alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost the public an estimated $114.3 billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life losses. People other than the drinking driver paid $71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is 63 percent of the total cost of these crashes. Learn More About MADD

SADD’s mission simply stated:

To provide students with the best prevention and intervention tools possible to deal with the issues of underage drinking, other drug use, impaired driving and other destructive decisions. Originally, the mission of the SADD chapter was to help young people say “No” to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us that positive peer pressure, role models and other strategies can help them say “No” to more than drinking and driving. And that is why SADD has become a peer leadership organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, impaired driving, teen violence and teen depression and suicide. SADD does not support or condone the use of alcohol by underage young people. The purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under the age of 21 is illegal in all 50 states. Alcohol alters an individual’s vision, reaction times, perception of distance, and judgment of one’s abilities. For adolescents, whose brains are still developing in critical ways, alcohol use makes them more vulnerable to learning and memory impairments. The use of alcohol is frequently coupled with risky and potentially destructive behaviors such as physical and emotional violence, rude or thoughtless remarks or actions, sexual mistakes or misjudgments, sexual assaults, and suicide acts and attempts. SADD believes that young people can have fun, enjoy life and nurture positive personal relationships without the distraction and distortion of alcohol. SADD seeks to demonstrate positive and attractive alternatives to alcohol and other drug-infused activities for teenagers. Learn More About SADD and How they can Help

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers

Casco Bay Substance Abuse Resource Center 205 Ocean Avenue Portland ME 4103 Phone: (207) 775-1335 ext. 11 Catholic Charities Maine Counseling Services 250 Anderson Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 775-5671 ext. 720 ccmaine.org
Crossroads for Women Substance Abuse Services 66 Pearl Street Portland ME 04101 Phone: (207) 773-9931 crossroadsforwomen.org Homeless Health Clinic City of Portland 20 Portland Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 874-8445 ci.portland.me.us
InnerEdge A Program of AGAPE 25 Middle Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 773-9724 Mainstay Ingraham Inc 165 Cumberland Avenue Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 842-6890 ingraham.org
Randall Place Ingraham Inc 12 Randall Street Portland ME 4103 Phone: (207) 780-8551 ingraham.org Recovery Associates of Southern Maine Substance Abuse Services 175 Lancaster Street Suite 162-E Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 772-7062
Serenity House Inc Substance Abuse Services 30 Mellen Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 774-2722 Sweetser Family Institute Substance Abuse Services 65 West Commercial Street 2nd Floor Portland ME 4101 Phone: (866) 774-4111 sweetser.org
Transitions Counseling Congress Street Substance Abuse Services 615 Congress Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 831-6260 Transitions Counseling Danforth Street Substance Abuse Services 158 Danforth Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 799-6601
Transitions Counseling Inc Substance Abuse Services 132 Pleasant Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 828-8089 Transitions Counseling Middle Street Substance Abuse Services 178 Middle Street Suite 300 Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 642-3977
Transitions Counseling Pleasant Street Substance Abuse Services 32 Pleasant Street Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 642-3977 Transitions Counseling South Street Substance Abuse Services 19 South Street Suite A-1 Portland ME 4101 Phone: (888) 773-8886
Transitions Counseling St. John Street Substance Abuse Services 222 Saint John Street Portland ME 4102 Phone: (207) 642-3977 Transitions Counseling Stevens Avenue Substance Abuse Services 491 Stevens Avenue Portland ME 4103 Phone: (888) 773-8886
Youth Alternatives Substance Abuse Services One Post Office Square Portland ME 4112 Phone: (207) 874-1175 YWCA Fair Harbor Residence Substance Abuse Services 555 Cumberland Avenue Portland ME 4101 Phone: (207) 874-1137
The Law Office of William T. Bly
OUI - Operating Under the Influence.
This is Maine's legal definition for drunk driving. OUI includes automobiles, snowmobiles, watercraft and ATVs. OUI encompasses drug impaired driving as well as drunk driving.
DWI - Driving While Intoxicated.
This term is used in some jurisdictions to describe drunk driving, including New Hampshire.
DUI - Driving Under the Influence.
This is the most commonly used term in most jurisdictions throughout the U.S. to describe drunk driving.
OWI - Operating While Intoxicated.
This term is used by only a few jurisdictions to describe drunk driving.

For simplicity sake, DUI & OUI will be used interchangeably on this website.

This website is provided solely for informational purposes and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between you and The Law Office of William T. Bly. Any form of communication with us does not create or establish an attorney-client relationship. Out of state visitors should consult competent local counsel in their local jurisdictions as local laws and rules may vary from state to state.