Question:  I was looking at your website and reading your blog because I need a Gwinnett County DUI lawyer. My friend used your firm and was really happy with the outcome.

In this case I want to schedule a consultation because my daughter got a DUI last week. She was driving her boyfriend home after they had an argument and she was stopped by a Gwinnett County police officer. She didn't explain to me everything that happened but she said that she was drunk, not just tipsy. She's not a big drinker and she's only 22 years old. She wants to be a nurse and we're worried that she can't do that if she has a serious criminal record.

She said that she was with friends and they were snorting alcohol. Her and her friends were actually snorting booze up their noses to get drunk. She said they were snorting gin and vodka. I couldn't believe that they would stick booze up their noses because it sounds totally idiotic. She said her friends love to snort alcohol because it gets them buzzed fast and it's cheap.

Her breath test score was .197. She said that at the jail she felt really sick and vomited.

Have you heard this snorting of booze thing? Will it have any effect on a DUI charge?

P.E. in Duluth, GA

Answer:  Snorting alcohol is actually a trend throughout America. Young people, mostly, have been snorting small amounts of gin and vodka. Some people use straws to snort the booze, while others put their noses in the glass and sniff.

We have had clients who snorted alcohol in the hopes of getting a cheap, quick buzz. Some people say they do it so that there is no odor of alcohol on their breath and actually see it as a way to not incriminate them if they are pulled-over by the police.

While not illegal, snorting vodka, gin or any type of liquor can lead to a much higher chance of alcohol poisoning, according to medical experts.

When a person drinks liquor, the stomach and liver dilute the alcohol content, but that does not happen when liquor is snorted. When snorted, it goes right into the bloodstream.

The fact that she snorted liquor, as opposed to drinking it, will not have an effect on the defense of her DUI charge. It doesn't matter how she ingested the alcohol. The question is whether she was a less safe driver because she ingested alcohol. It is the prosecution's job to say she was; it is the defense's job to say she wasn't. 

About Us

Need the best Gwinnett County DUI attorney to handle a drunk driving charge? 

When you require a strong, caring and effective attorney, we're here to help you.  Just call us at 678-215-4106.    

Our experience comes first!  We've worked as a Magistrate Judge, Assistant Attorney General and Senior Assistant County Attorney.

When you need the services of an outstanding an outstanding legal team, make attorneys Valerie W. Sherman and William H. Sherman your first choice!