Question:   My daughter got a DUI about a week ago in Woodstock and since it's not her first drunk driving arrest my wife and I decided to put her in a rehab.  She's only 19 years old but she has a drinking problem.  We've found her passed out several times at home and one time she was actually found passed out in a park in Johns Creek.  She was getting treatment with a therapist but I don't think that's enough.

So we brought her to a rehab where she can live while she sobers up and gets better.  There is a history of alcoholism on my wife's side of the family.  I knew her father and grandfather were big drinkers and I know that they used to polish off a couple of six-packs a night each.  They'd also have bourbon, rye and gin.

I took our daughter out of college at Georgia Tech because she really needs the help and she can finish college later.  Maybe the Tech environment is not the best for her and she'd be happier at University of Georgia or at Kennesaw State University.

Is it a good idea that she's in rehab?  Should I keep her there?  How will it affect her DUI charge?

S.D. in Dunwoody

Answer:   It certainly sounds like you are doing the right thing by placing her in a rehab facility.  You don't mention which facility she is in, but there are a number of good rehabs in the Atlanta metro area.  The treatment she receives there should go a long way towards helping her best handle her alcoholism.  Interestingly, about one-third of all Americans have or had a drinking problem, according to a study from the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

The fact that she is getting professional treatment will help her with the DUI.  Prosecutors and judges like to see that someone is getting the help they need.  We often times use a client's rehab to their benefit in negotiations with prosecutors.

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