It used to be that when people were arrested for driving while intoxicated, they were under the influence of alcohol, but apparently that has changed in recent years.

“It’s almost switched now,” Los Alamos Family Council Program Manager Cheryl Pongratz told a recent meeting of the Los Alamos DWI Planning Council. “We have more people now who are on drugs and it’s usually drugs and alcohol, multi-drugs and alcohol … opioids, meth, marijuana, lots of people with marijuana.”

Pongratz was on the agenda to give an update on DWI programs available through Family Council with classes three nights a week. She said Monday night’s class is called Recovery and Resiliency.

“It’s not a specific 12 step program but it’s very 12 step-oriented. There’s a lot of discussion and planning. It’s the most intensive (class) of the program and if you’re in there you’re in for a minimum of 20 weeks,” Pongratz said. “Lots of people choose to stay in longer. They can pretty much stay in as long as they want. It is a curriculum-based program so the curriculum repeats but since it’s also group discussion, no two sessions are the same.”

“Wednesday is anger management or emotional regulation, because everyone that’s in there doesn’t need anger management but everyone who’s in there needs some emotional support,” she said.

Thursday night is the most basic program and is called the educational program. Pongratz said it includes lots of films, lots of handout material and discussion.

“When somebody comes either individually or from Probation or from their lawyer sending them, it gives them a heads up of where the court is going to send them. The assessment is done, and a recommendation is made, and it might be three nights plus individual a week,” she said. “It’s the most intensive and it’s sort of a last stop before inpatient.”

The third program offered is DWI School, which is run through the Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division and has been around for 20 years. Pongratz said the facilitator, Kathleen LaWicki is very knowledgeable and gets high marks on the class evaluations.

“She can handle a group, and we get some difficult groups. We get some people who aren’t very happy about being in DWI school. Of course, they don’t have a problem,” she said. “And we also get people who are actively addicted to substances. Kathleen has the skills to work with them. People don’t particularly like the length of the class and things like that but other than that they say it’s interesting, it’s useful and she does a good job.”

“If you’ve been found guilty of a DWI charge, DWI school is a sanction under the statute that’s mandatory and treatment is decided after an assessment. We still call it DWI school but in reality, it’s DUI school. It’s not just alcohol, it can be under the influence of any substance. The Traffic Safety Division sets all the rules and we have no flexibility. We have to provide them our rules and we follow them. They set the price at a maximum of $175 for the 12-hour course. I don’t know of any of the schools that charge less than that, but you can’t charge more,” she said.

Out of the $175, Pongratz said Family Council buys materials, pays the instructor and pays $50 per person to the Traffic Safety Division.

“Usually people do DWI school and Impact Panel. Almost everybody has both of those. We like to offer the class quarterly, but one of the state rules is you must have four people to offer it,” she said. “There is a process you can go through to get it approved for under four, but the reality is you don’t have a good discussion if you don’t have four people. If you have only one or two, it’s just really not worth doing because the power is in the group and that’s what changes a lot of people’s minds.”

“Nobody ever says I don’t want to talk. It’s shutting them up that’s the bigger problem. And this gives the facilitator a good sense of who’s owned what’s happened to them and who’s very resistant,” Pongratz said. “Scattered throughout the class book is a personal action plan and that’s the main thing that they want to end up with at the end of the class. You end up with in writing what your commitments to yourself are and no longer having drinking and driving or drugging and driving as part of your lifestyle.”

Pongratz said probably the biggest eye opener to people is the cost of DWI and they spend a fair amount of time on this, gather some data for themselves.

“How much did you have to pay for the court costs, getting your car towed, your breathalyzer installation, time off work, or did you lose your job because of your DWI and in general, the high cost of the first DWI is $4,000 to $6,000. And later on they visit the cost of a second DWI. There’s also a section on other losses such as loss of self-esteem, loss of relationships, loss of everything in some cases,” she said.

DWI Planning Council Objectives:

• Reduce the number of persons driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Los Alamos County and the State of New Mexico;
• Increase personal and community safety and awareness in matters related to DWI, alcohol dependency, and alcohol and substance abuse;
• Coordinate related efforts with those of other organizations and agencies;
• Support those charged with enforcing our laws and keeping the County safe; and
• Promote education regarding DWI and underage drinking. 

The next quarterly DWI School is May 4, 11 and 18. The charge is $175 and payable at the time of registration. For more information, call 505.662.3264.