Choosing an alcohol rehab in Michigan in order recover from an alcohol abuse problem can be a challenging process, as few people really know what to look for when seeking a quality rehab for an alcohol addiction. The various alcohol treatment options that are available in Michigan can include holistic alcohol rehabs, inpatient, outpatient, long-term or short stay alcohol rehabilitation options.

Most of the individuals in Michigan that struggle with alcoholism cannot break free successfully without the professional support of an alcohol rehabilitation program. In an outpatient alcohol treatment program, the individual from Michigan that is being treated for an alcohol addiction can visit the treatment center on various days for a specific number of hours. In a residential alcohol rehab facility, the client will have the benefit of residing full time at the treatment center; this intense level of alcohol rehabilitation offers the individual from Michigan the added benefit of having access to professional support 24 hours a day.

The basic components of every Michigan alcohol rehab are generally about the same; the first step in any quality alcohol rehab program is the alcohol detoxification process. This process is utilized in the Michigan rehabilitation program in order to help the individual to safely quit drinking while under the supervision of medical professionals. After detox has successfully been completed, an individual from Michigan can finally begin to focus on all of the other aspects of the alcohol rehab program; these alcohol treatment components may include counseling, group classes, and drug relapse prevention education. The primary goal of any type of quality alcohol rehab should be to enable the individual from Michigan to successfully be able to achieve and maintain long term abstinence.

Michigan 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. Michigan has experienced a fairly steady decline in the number of drunk driving deaths and in the percentage of traffic fatalities that are alcohol related. The highest number of alcohol related deaths occurred in 1984, with 897, while the lowest number was reported in 2008, with 331. The percentage of traffic fatalities that were alcohol related peaked in 1982 at 63% and dropped to 28% in 2007.

The table below shows the total number of traffic fatalities (Tot) for the Michigan, alcohol related fatalities (Alc-Rel) and fatalities in crashes where the highest BAC in the crash was 0.08 or above (0.08+). All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to operating a motor vehicle while 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 while intoxicated/impaired (OWI). This is based upon a Michigan 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.

It is important to note that the Michigan drunk driving statistics, as shown below, include data from individuals in Michigan 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 pedalcyclist) 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.

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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 Michigan?

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

Penalties for Drunk Driving in Michigan

• First-time offenders in Michigan are subject to one or more of the following punishments: a term of imprisonment of up to 93 days; a fine of $100 to $500; and community service of up to 360 hours. The driver's license suspension period is 180 days.
• Those in Michigan who commit a second offense within seven years of the first offense must pay a fine of $200 to $1,000. They also face up to one year in prison, community service of 30 to 90 days, or both. The offender's driver's license will be revoked. Depending on the circumstances of the violation, a new license may or may not be issued for one or five years.
• Those in Michigan who commit a third or subsequent offense within 10 years of two or more prior convictions must pay a fine of $500 to $5,000. These offenders are also subject to either (a) one to five years in prison; or (b) probation with imprisonment in a county jail for 30 days to one year and community service of 60 to 180 days. The offender's driver's license will be revoked. Depending on the circumstances of the violation, a new license may or may not be issued for one or five years.

Additional Penalties in Michigan for Drunk Driving that Causes Death or a Serious Impairment of a Body Function of Another

• A person in Michigan who drives while intoxicated and causes the death of another person is subject to a prison term of up to 15 years, a fine of $2,500 to $10,000, or both.
• A person in Michigan who drives while intoxicated and causes serious impairment of a body function of another person is subject to a prison term of up to five years, a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, or both.

Additional Penalties in Michigan for Drunk Driving While a Passenger Under 16 is in the Vehicle
A person in Michigan who commits a DUI while a passenger under 16 is in the vehicle must pay a fine of $200 to $1,000. These offenders are also subject to a term of imprisonment of up to one year, 30 to 90 days of community service, or both. A person who commits a second DUI in Michigan while a passenger under 16 is in the vehicle within seven years of a first conviction or within 10 years of two or more prior convictions for the same offense must pay a fine of $500 to $5,000. These Michigan offenders are also subject to (a) a term of imprisonment of one to five years; or (b) probation with imprisonment in a county jail for 30 days to one year and 60 to 180 days of community service.

Commercial Drivers
In addition to other penalties associated with Michigan's DUI laws, a commercial driver who is convicted of DUI while operating any vehicle for the first time will have his or her commercial driver's license suspended for one year. If, however, the offender was driving a commercial vehicle and transporting hazardous materials at the time, the suspension period is three years. If a commercial driver in Michigan commits a second DUI while driving any vehicle, the offender's commercial driver's license will be suspended for life, which may or may not be reduced to a period of 10 years.

Drivers Under 21

• First-time offenders in Michigan are subject to up to 360 hours of community service, a fine of up to $500, or both.
• Those in Michigan who commit a second or subsequent offense are subject to one or more of the following punishments: up to 93 days in prison; a fine of up to $500; and 60 days of community service.
• A driver under 21 in Michigan who commits a DUI while a passenger under 16 is in the vehicle is subject to one or more of the following punishments: up to 93 days in prison; a fine of up to $500; and 60 days of community service A driver under 21 who commits a second or subsequent DUI while a passenger under 16 is in the vehicle must pay a fine of $200 to $1,000. These offenders are also subject to a term of imprisonment of up to one year, community service of 30 to 90 days, or both.

What is Michigan's Dram Shop Law?
Under Michigan law, a licensed Michigan drinking establishment is prohibited from serving alcohol to minors and visibly intoxicated persons. If an unlawful sale causes a minor or a visibly intoxicated person to injure another, the injured person may file an action for damages against the drinking establishment. This law requires that suit must be filed within two years of the injury. Additionally, written notice to all defendants must be given within 120 days after the plaintiff enters into an attorney-client relationship for the purpose of pursuing a claim under this law. If proper notice is not given, the claim may be dismissed. This law also requires that the minor or visibly intoxicated person be a named defendant in the action and be retained as a defendant in the action until it is concluded by trial or settlement. Under this law, a visibly intoxicated person has no right of action against a drinking establishment for injuries he or she suffers as a result of intoxication.

What is Michigan's Liquor Liability Insurance Statute?
Under this statute, licensed drinking establishments in Michigan are required to carry at least $50,000 of liquor liability insurance to provide security for liability under Michigan's Dram Shop Law.

Criminal Penalties in Michigan for Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor
In Michigan, it is a crime for an adult to furnish alcohol to a person under 21. A person who violates this law for the first time is subject to serve up to 60 days in prison and pay a fine up to $1,000. A person who commits a second or subsequent violation is subject to 90 days in prison and a fine up to $2,500. The offender may also be ordered to perform community service. If, however, the minor dies or suffers injury because of intoxication, the adult who furnished the alcohol faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

Criminal Penalties in Michigan for Selling Alcohol to a Minor
An employee or agent of a licensed drinking establishment in Michigan who sells or serves alcohol to a minor is subject to up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $500, or both.