Alcohol addiction and alcoholism are serious problems in the state of West Virginia. Every community in the state is negatively impacted on a daily basis by these problems. Due to the destruction that alcohol addiction can create in people's lives, the need for alcohol rehab and alcohol treatment in the area has never been greater.

Alcohol treatment and alcohol rehabilitation in West Virginia is a ray of hope for those affected by alcohol addiction and alcoholism. Through treatment, individuals battling alcohol addiction in West Virginia will receive the vital counseling and support needed to discover the causes of their addiction. Effective alcohol rehab in West Virginia can put individuals back in a position of power, so that they can begin to make positive choices and overcome life's obstacles with effective reasoning instead of alcohol. They can then begin rebuilding their lives and mend important relationships.

Individuals in West Virginia who have been consumed in alcohol addiction for an extended amount of time may experience physical withdrawal when they do stop drinking. Withdrawal is extremely uncomfortable and painful, and can be potentially deadly. Individuals in West Virginia who want to kick their alcohol addiction can seek help through this process at an alcohol rehab facility. Here they can be assisted through this process, and be provided with the best care to successfully get through it.

There are numerous options for individuals in West Virginia seeking treatment for alcohol addiction. There are Long-term Alcohol Rehab Programs, Outpatient Alcohol Rehabs, Short-term Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers, Inpatient Alcohol Rehab Facilities, support group meetings, alcohol counseling, halfway houses and sober living.

Alcohol addiction and alcoholism can have serious long-term consequences for individuals who are battling these serious problems. Seek alcohol rehabilitation in West Virginia for you or someone you know today, before it is too late.

West Virginia 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. In West Virginia, the highest number of alcohol related fatalities was 253, recorded in 1983, and the lowest number was 126, recorded in 2005. The highest percentage of fatalities that were alcohol related occurred in 1983 also, with 60%, declining to 33% in 2004. In 2008, out of all traffic fatalities, 34% involved a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher, down from 53% in 1983.

The table below shows the total number of traffic fatalities (Tot) for the West Virginia, alcohol related fatalities (Alc-Rel) and fatalities in crashes where the highest BAC in the crash was 0.08 or above (0.08+). It is important to note that the West Virginia drunk driving statistics, as shown below, include data from individuals 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.

All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to driving 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 [a motor vehicle] while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a West Virginia 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.

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 West Virginia?

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

Penalties for Drunk Driving in West Virginia

• A first-time offender in West Virginia faces one day to six months in jail and a fine of $100 to $500. The driver's license revocation period is six months.
• A person who commits a second DUI in West Virginia within 10 years of the first offense faces six months to one year in jail and a fine of $1,000 to $3,000. The driver's license revocation period is 10 years.
• A person who commits a third or subsequent DUI in West Virginia within 10 years of the previous offenses faces one to three years in prison and a fine of $3,000 to $5,000. The offender's driver's license will be revoked for life.

Penalties for Drunk Driving in West Virginia that Causes Death

A person who commits a DUI in West Virginia that causes or contributes to the death of another person within one year of the date of the offense faces 90 days to one year in prison and is subject to pay a fine of $500 to $1,000. The driver's license revocation period in West Virginia is five years. If, however, it is shown that the offender drove drunk in reckless disregard for the safety of others, the offender faces one to 10 years in prison and is subject to pay a fine of $1,000 to $3,000. The driver's license revocation period is 10 years.

Penalties for Drunk Driving that Causes Bodily Injury

A person who commits a DUI in West Virginia that causes bodily injury to another person faces one day to one year in jail and is subject to pay a fine of $250 to $1,000. The driver's license revocation period is two years.

Penalties for Permitting Drunk Driver to Drive Your Car

If a person knowingly permits a drunk person to drive their vehicle in West Virginia, that person faces up to six months in jail and is subject to pay a fine of $100 to $500. The person will also have his or her driver's license revoked for six months.

Penalties for Drunk Driving While Passenger Under 16 is in the Vehicle

A person who commits a DUI in West Virginia while a passenger under 16 is in the vehicle faces two days to 12 months in jail and is subject to pay a fine of $200 to $1,000. The driver's license revocation period is one year.

Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program

First-time DUI offenders are eligible to participate in West Virginia's Test and Lock Program. Depending on the circumstances of the DUI, after a certain period of time passes, the offender is eligible to apply for a license that permits him or her to drive with an ignition interlock device. For example, a person whose driver's license was revoked for six months for a first DUI is eligible to participate in the test and lock program at the expiration of 30 days. If accepted into the program, the offender will be required to use an ignition interlock device for five months.

Repeat offenders in West Virginia are required to participate in the program. The minimum driver's license revocation period is one year, and the minimum period of the use of the ignition interlock device is two years, except that a repeat underage DUI offender who drove with a BAC of .02 but less than .08 is subject to a minimum driver's license revocation period of two months and a minimum period of use of the ignition interlock device for one year. For each additional previous conviction or revocation the offender has within the past 10 years, one year will be added to the minimum period of use of the ignition interlock device. Any person required to participate in the program must install an ignition interlock device on every vehicle he or she owns or operates.

Commercial Drivers

In addition to other penalties that may apply under West Virginia's DUI laws, a commercial driver who commits a first DUI while driving any vehicle will be disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for one year. If, however, the driver was operating a commercial vehicle and transporting hazardous materials at the time, the disqualification period is three years. A commercial driver who commits a second DUI while driving any vehicle will be disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for life, which may or may not be reduced to a period of not less than 10 years.

Drivers Under 21

A person under 21 who drives with a BAC of .02 but less than .08 is subject to pay a fine of $25 to $100 for the first offense in West Virginia. The driver's license suspension period is 60 days. An underage driver who commits a second or subsequent offense faces 24 hours in jail and is subject to pay a fine of $100 to $500. The driver's license revocation period is one year or until the person's 21st birthday, whichever period is longer.

What is West Virginia's Dram Shop Act?

In West Virginia, a licensed drinking establishment that sells alcohol to a person under 21 or to an intoxicated person can be liable for third-party injuries caused by intoxication.

Criminal Penalties for Selling Alcohol to Minors

In West Virginia, it is a crime to sell alcohol to a minor. A person who violates this law faces 30 days to six months in jail, a fine of $25 to $500, or both.

Criminal Penalties for Furnishing Alcohol to Minors

In West Virginia, any person who gives alcohol to a person under 21 to whom they are not related by blood or marriage faces up to 10 days in jail, a fine of up to $100, or both.