Local sheriff reminds drivers to celebrate Cinco de Mayo responsibly
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Cinco de Mayo is a day to celebrate Mexican heritage and culture.
While people who celebrate want to have fun, law enforcement cautions over-doing it when it comes to alcohol.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates a day when the Mexican army won a battle against all odds.
But, here in the US, the 5th of May highlights Mexican food and specialty drinks.
It can be fun, but the people who patrol our roads warn patrons to be cautious.
“Alcohol poison is real,” Eddie Scott said. “A lot of citizens lose their lives because they overdrink and not realize what they are doing. Some of the alcohols they got today is really smooth to drink and this stuff can sneak up on you and you’ll be sick before you know what’s happening.”
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott says nearly 178,000 people die from alcohol poisoning in the U.S.
Scott says every year during events like Cinco De Mayo his officers are always concerned about people drinking excessively.
“So it’s always a concern to ours and we encourage people to know your limitations,” Scott said. “If you are out in the heat and you get dehydrated you don’t need to drinking and driving. Of course as usual we will be having our safety checkpoints and again it’s not trying to bring people to jail, it’s about being determined. So if you going to drink, drink responsibly and drink wisely.”
The Sheriff says it is a priority to be aware of how much is too much.
“We’ve seen really terrible accidents that’s happened because of excessive drinking,” Scott said. “We’ve seen people come to jail for DUI’s and getting DUI’s and stuff on record is not good. When you are losing your license and you got to get to work or get to school, it creates a real hardship for you but at the same time law enforcement got a job to do and that’s to keep these people off the road.”
That means – having a designated driver, keeping an eye on your friends, or calling a cab.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the day of the Mexican army victory over France in the Franco-Mexican War on May 5, 1862.
