When my wife was charged with DUI, the judge considered some extenuating circumstances when it came to her punishment. He understood that she was going through emotional times because her father had just passed away, but he also realized that he could not let her off with just a slap on the wrist either. Instead, he ordered that she take 24 Hour Level 3 Alcohol Awareness Classes. He allowed her to take them online so she wouldn't have to miss any work. His goal was to teach her about the risk factors of alcohol and drug abuse, the cost of addiction, the health risks of alcohol, the risk factors specific to women, and most importantly skills in stress management. She is not an alcoholic; she simply turned to alcohol to drown out constant grief since we also lost our home to a tornado this past year. This is exactly what we both needed. She realized alcohol was not the answer, and I got my wife back.
