Alcoholism in the state of Minnesota is a major issue that is steadily on the rise; this further increases the need for a greater number of quality alcohol rehab options to be readily available in this area. Various alcohol rehabilitation approaches are available in Minnesota, but the process of choosing a quality alcohol rehabilitation facility can be challenging, because there are so many different types alcohol treatment, such as inpatient or outpatient, and long term and short term, just to name a few. A sense of urgency is necessary when an individual from Minnesota has admitted that they have an alcohol abuse problem; it is at this point that an alcohol treatment plan should be securely put into place before the person has a chance to change their mind about getting the help that they so desperately need.

In a Minnesota outpatient alcohol treatment program, the individual that is being treated for an alcohol addiction will likely visit the treatment facility several times a week at various intervals for a specific number of hours. It is important to note that very few individuals from Minnesota that have struggled with a serious alcohol addiction can benefit long term from such a limited amount of short term alcohol rehabilitation. In a residential alcohol rehab, the individual from Minnesota will have the benefit of residing at the alcohol rehab facility; along with this intense level of recovery care, the person will also have access to around the clock professional support.

An alcohol rehab program will begin with detoxification (the process of safely managing and minimizing physical withdrawal symptoms); After completing detox, the alcohol rehab staff will then begin to administer other components of treatment. These treatment components often include individual or group counseling, as well as skills and training courses to help prepare the individual for returning to Minnesota to be able to live successfully while remaining sober.

Minnesota alcohol related information and statistics are provided by the US Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Conference of State Legislatures, 2004. Alcohol-related deaths in Minnesota reached their highest level in 1984, with 332, and the lowest level in 2008, with 161. The percentage of total traffic fatalities that were alcohol related peaked in 1984, with 57% and showed an overall decline to 32% in 2004. In 2008, out of all traffic fatalities, 30% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher.

The table below shows the total number of traffic fatalities (Tot) for the Minnesota, alcohol related fatalities (Alc-Rel) and fatalities in crashes where the highest BAC in the crash was 0.08 or above (0.08+). All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. The first (and original) offense is known either as driving under the influence (DUI), driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI), or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a Minnesota police officer's observations (driving behavior, slurred speech, the results of a roadside sobriety test, etc.) The second offense is called "illegal per se", which is driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.

It is important to note that the Minnesota drunk driving statistics, as shown below, include data from individuals in Minnesota who were in an alcohol-related crash, but not driving a motor vehicle at the time. The U.S. Department of Transportation defines alcohol-related deaths as "fatalities that occur in crashes where at least one driver or non-occupant (pedestrian or bicyclist) involved in the crash has a positive Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) value." The fatality rates shown below refer to the number of people killed in all traffic accidents and, separately, in alcohol related traffic accidents, per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2003-2004, Office of Applied Studies 2003-2004 and the MADD Official Website statistics 2004

�'When is a driver considered to be legally drunk in Minnesota?

• Non-commercial drivers age 21+ in Minnesota are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is .08 or more.
• Drivers of commercial vehicles in Minnesota are legally drunk when their blood alcohol concentration is .04 percent or greater. In Minnesota, school bus drivers are commercial drivers.
• Drivers under 21 in Minnesota are legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is .02 or greater.

Penalties for Drunk Driving in Minnesota

• First-time offenders in Minnesota face up to 90 days in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The offender's driver's license will be revoked for at least 30 days. If, however, the offender was driving with a BAC of .20 or more or if a child under 16 was in the vehicle at the time of the offense, the offender may be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $3,000.
• Those in Minnesota who commit a second offense within 10 years of the first conviction face up to 90 days in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. At a minimum, the offender must serve a term of imprisonment of 30 days or perform eight hours of community service work for each day less than 30 days that the person is ordered to serve. The offender's driver's license will be revoked for at least 180 days. If, however, the offender was driving with a BAC of .20 or more or if a child under 16 was in the vehicle at the time of the offense, the offender may be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $3,000.
• Those in Minnesota who commit a third DWI within 10 years of the prior convictions may be imprisoned for up to one year and fined up to $3,000. At a minimum, the offender must serve a term of imprisonment of 90 days or a program of intensive supervision in the pilot program of intensive probation for repeat DWI offenders that requires the offender to serve at least six days in a local correctional facility. The offender's driver's license will be revoked for at least one year. If, however, the offender was driving with a BAC of .20 or more or if a child under 16 was in the vehicle at the time of the offense, the offender may be imprisoned for more than one year.
• A person in Minnesota who commits a fourth offense within 10 years faces three to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $14,000. The driver's license revocation period is at least two years.

Additional Driver's License Revocation Periods in Minnesota

• If a DUI in Minnesota results in personal injury or death to another person, the offender's driver's license will be revoked for an additional 90 days.
• If the offender committed the DUI in Minnesota while driving with a BAC of .20 or more, the offender's driver's license will be revoked for twice the period of time it would have otherwise been revoked.

Ignition Interlock

In Minnesota, a person who has been convicted of DUI a second or subsequent time within a 10-year period may be ordered to use an ignition interlock system for a minimum of 30 days for each year of probation ordered.

Drivers Under 21

Underage drinking and driving is a misdemeanor in Minnesota punishable by up to 90 days in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. The driver's license suspension period is 30 days for a first offense and 180 days for a second or subsequent offense.

Commercial Drivers

In addition to other penalties associated with Minnesota's DUI laws, a commercial driver convicted of DUI for the first time while driving any vehicle will be disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for one year. If, however, the driver was transporting hazardous material at the time of the violation, the disqualification period is three years. A commercial driver in Minnesota who commits a second DUI while operating any vehicle will be disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for life, which may or may not be reduced to a period of 10 years.

School Bus or Head Start Bus Drivers

In Minnesota, it is a crime for any person to drive any class of school bus or Head Start bus when there is physical evidence of alcohol consumption present in the person's body. A driver is guilty of "gross misdemeanor alcohol-related school bus or Head Start bus driving" if the violation occurred while a child under 16 was in the vehicle, while a child more than 36 months younger than the driver was in the bus, or where the driver had a previous DUI conviction within 10 years. A gross misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of up to $3,000. The offender may also face up to one year in prison. If none of the circumstances was present to make the offense a gross misdemeanor, the driver in Minnesota is guilty of a misdemeanor alcohol-related school bus or Head Start bus driving. Misdemeanors are punishable by up to 90 days in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A school bus driver in Minnesota who has been convicted of driving a school bus while impaired will lose his or her school bus commercial driver's license endorsement for five years.

What is Minnesota's Civil Liability Act?

Under Minnesota law, a spouse, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured by an intoxicated person has a claim for damages against the drinking establishment that caused the intoxication by illegally selling alcoholic beverages to an obviously intoxicated person or to a person under 21. This law requires that suit must be filed within two years after the injury. Additionally, written notice to the defendant must be given within 240 days after the plaintiff enters into an attorney-client relationship for the purpose of pursuing a claim under this law. If notice is not given, the claim may not be brought. The written notice must state: (1) the time and date when and the person to whom alcohol was sold; (2) the name and address of the person or persons who were injured; and (3) the approximate time and date and the place where the injury to the person occurred. A substantially material error in the notice may void its effect.

What is Minnesota's Social Host Liability Act?

Under Minnesota law, a spouse, child, parent, guardian, employer, or other person injured by an intoxicated person under 21 has a claim for damages against the person 21 or older who either furnished alcohol to the minor or who had control over the premises and knowingly or recklessly permitted the minor to drink alcohol. Under this law, an intoxicated person under 21 who caused the injury is not permitted to file suit in Minnesota.

What is Minnesota's Liquor Liability Insurance Statute?

Under this statute, licensed drinking establishments in Minnesota are required to carry at least $50,000 of insurance coverage for bodily injury to any one person in any one occurrence; $100,000 for bodily injury to two or more persons in any one occurrence; $10,000 for property damage in any one occurrence; $50,000 for loss of means of support of any one person in any one occurrence; and $100,000 for loss of means of support of two or more persons in any one occurrence. An annual aggregate policy limit for dram shop insurance of at least $300,000 per policy year may be included in the policy provisions.

Criminal Penalties for Selling or Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor

In Minnesota, it is a crime to sell or furnish alcohol to a minor. A first-time offender faces up to 90 days in prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Offenders in Minnesota who commit a second violation face a fine of up to $3,000, and may be sent to prison for up to one year. If, however, a private person furnishes alcohol to a minor and the minor becomes intoxicated and dies or is injured, the person who furnished the alcohol may be imprisoned for more than one year.