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Another No Refusal weekend was implemented recently over the Halloween holiday in Texas.  This follows No-Refusal weekends that took place this past Labor Day and Fourth of July.

These No-Refusal weekends are being put into place during holiday weekends that are celebrated heavily by drinking alcohol. During a No Refusal weekend, officers have the right to obtain a warrant allowing them to conduct blood alcohol tests on those they’ve pulled over for DWIs if they’ve refused to comply with a Breathalyzer test.

This initiative continues to be implemented at a time when Texas is experiencing some of the highest DWI rates in the country. The most recent study conducted by MADD revealed that over 15,680 people experienced injuries from alcohol-related accidents and 1,337 died from alcohol-related crashes in 2013.

It’s clear that law enforcement authorities have implemented this policy in order to reduce drunk drivers on the roads and to create a safer environment. Typically, several checkpoints are set up in various parts of the city to assure that drunk drivers are taken off the roads. However, it is crucial to fully understand your rights if you are pulled over for a DWI during a No Refusal period.

As a driver, if you arrive at a checkpoint and are suspected of being intoxicated, an officer might ask that you submit a blood or Breathalyzer test. You then have three options as a response.

• Agree to a blood test
• Agree to a Breathalyzer test
• Reject any type of test

If you reject a test and are suspected of a DWI, it is legal for an officer to detain you until a warrant is obtained, allowing them to force you to provide a blood test.

It’s important to know that if you’re pulled over for a DWI, you should immediately call a criminal defense attorney to lead you through the entire process. At Corso Law Group, we always remind Texans that this contact should be the first step you take if you are ever in this situation.

Upcoming holidays, including New Year’s Eve, are expected to be accompanied by No Refusal initiatives, similar to last year where law enforcement agents administered 14 blood tests and arrested 26 people. With police officers stating that these initiatives are successful, No Refusal weekends are most likely here to stay.

If you are pulled over for a DWI or traffic citation, please contact Corso Law Group immediately at (713) 231-0499.

Would knowing your blood alcohol content help you make the right decision to call a cab or hail an Uber at the end of the night?

Breathometer, a portable breathalyzer that works on smartphones, has partnered with Uber to further prevent drunk driving by offering users safe, convenient alternatives to getting behind the wheel when intoxicated.

Simply blow into one of the Breathometer devices, which can be wireless or attached to the headphone jack, and the app shows the person’s current blood alcohol content.

If BAC levels are at .04 percent or higher, Breathometer provides a list of nearby restaurants, hotels and transportation options that can be contacted directly form the app.

Now partnered with Uber, an app that connects people to drivers in the area, Breathometer offers the company’s services first on the list of transportation options, and the Uber app automatically opens when selected on Breathometer.

Since the partnership began earlier this year, Uber has been selected 54 percent more frequently than the other options Breathometer offers, with approximately 1,700 Uber rides so far.

After recording BAC levels, Breathometer has the option to store this information so that over time, the app gets to know how much alcohol it takes for an individual to become intoxicated, how long it takes to sober up and more.

In the future, Breathometer founder and CEO Charles Yim has plans to expand the app even more, so that it offers users additional services, such as helpful resources for battling alcohol abuse.

The partnership between the Uber and Breathometer, and each of their respective partnerships with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Fathers Against Drunk Driving, demonstrates a serious effort to prevent alcohol-related accidents.

Powdered alcohol has been approved, despite last year’s false start, and could be available in the U.S. this summer.

On March 10, The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) granted approval to Palcohol, an alcoholic powder by Arizona company Lipsmark LLC that can be added to any liquid for a custom beverage.

Palcohol was approved after scientific review from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the product’s ingredients weren’t concerning and proved no need for a legal block.

The TTB originally approved Palcohol last April, but public outcry led to a temporary repeal two weeks later.

Although Palcohol would follow the same age and distribution regulations as liquid alcohol, that hasn’t stopped several hesitant states from taking measures to keep it away.

Some passed legislation banning powdered alcohol last year, including South Carolina, Louisiana and Vermont; while others like Mississippi, Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey and Washington are still considering taking similar action against Palcohol.

Opponents of the powder are concerned about the potential dangers of such a new, unique product. Specifically, many are afraid it will be easier to abuse and conceal, especially for minors, but Lipsmark founder, Mark Phillips, argues Palcohol is no more dangerous than liquid alcohol.

The Palcohol website addresses major concerns like snorting the powder, spiking drinks and food and overloading cocktails with the powder.

“Listen, people can snort black pepper….so do we ban it? No, just because a few goofballs use a product irresponsibly doesn’t mean you ban it,” Phillips said.

Palcohol was originally created by Phillips, an avid hiker and backpacker, with the help of scientists so that people who travel or spend time outdoors could conveniently bring their favorite drinks with them to unique destinations.

Lipsmark also has plans to make an industrial, non-ingestible Palcohol formula, in addition to its consumable rum, vodka and cocktail products, to be used for medicine, energy, travel, hospitality, manufacturing and commercial purposes.