It was the Fourth of May—one of those golden summer days when even the breeze feels like a celebration. But while the sun was shining outside, the ER was anything but festive. Lisa, a friend of mine who works in emergency care, glanced at the full waiting room and whispered, “It’s going to be another night of drunk injuries.”
She wasn’t wrong.
The first patient came in before 3 p.m.—a 17-year-old boy, pale, shivering, soaking wet. He’d gone swimming at the lake with some friends. The celebration got out of hand, and so did the drinks. He dove into the water and swam out too far—too far to come back. By the time they realized something was wrong, he was nearly unconscious. His mother arrived in tears. “He’s on the school swim team! How could this happen?”
The doctor shook his head: “Even champions can drown. Alcohol doesn’t care about your trophies.”
That’s when it really hit me—being a good swimmer doesn’t protect you from bad decisions made under the influence.
Later that day, a college student was wheeled in with a fractured ankle and a bruised ego. He’d fallen off a boat trying to show off his wakeboarding skills—after two strong rum cocktails. His friends admitted he insisted he could handle the waves. “It’s just a couple drinks,” he had said. Yeah, right.
As the nurse stitched him up, she muttered to me, “When blood alcohol content hits 0.08%, your risk of a fatal boating accident increases 14 times. Doesn’t matter how good your playlist is or how cool your shades look.”
What’s wild is that you don’t need to be the one driving the boat to be in danger. Drunken passengers fall, slip, stumble, and yes—sometimes go overboard.
I began thinking about how often summer joy turns into sudden chaos. Not because something unexpected happened, but because someone made one small bad call with a drink in their hand.
Another time, a family of three rolled into the ER after their SUV flipped into a roadside ditch. The dad had just “one beer” before driving them to a nearby national park. “I’m fine, I can handle it,” he’d said. But throw in some unfamiliar roads, kids bickering in the back seat, and a distracted glance at the GPS—and the results were catastrophic.
The mom sat next to her injured son and whispered, “We just wanted to see the stars.”
Summer holidays are peak seasons for car accidents. And alcohol doesn’t just impair your reaction—it changes the choices you think are safe.
Then there was Emily—the sunburned ten-year-old who came in sobbing, arms red and blistering. Her parents were grilling in the backyard, sipping on margaritas, and completely lost track of time. “We didn’t even realize she was outside for so long,” they said.
Here’s what most people don’t know: alcohol not only makes you forget sunscreen, it actually reduces your skin’s resistance to UV rays, making burns worse and more likely. And repeated burns? They increase your long-term risk of skin cancer. No party is worth that.
Speaking of parties, my friend Josh once came back from a beach vacation and told me, half-joking, that he “almost died of too much fun.” Turns out he drank a few cocktails under the midday sun, passed out, and was later diagnosed with heatstroke and mild alcohol poisoning. “I was drinking for the vibe,” he said. “Didn’t know my body was quietly waving the white flag.”
The combination of hot weather and alcohol is sneaky. Heat makes you sweat. Alcohol makes you pee more. Together, they’re a one-way ticket to dehydration.
So many people drink more than usual while traveling. They’re on vacation, they want to unwind, they try new cocktails without asking what’s in them. But rapidly spiking your blood alcohol in unfamiliar environments—with jet lag, medication, or motion sickness in the mix—is a recipe for real trouble.
Then there was that one backyard barbecue I’ll never forget. The host—clearly a responsible one—had a whole table with non-alcoholic drinks, from fizzy water to mocktails. There were signs about designated drivers and even a contact list for taxis. One girl rolled her eyes and said, “Why does this feel like daycare?”
He laughed. “You remember when Jeff jumped into the pool drunk last year and split his lip on the diving board? I’d rather plan ahead than call an ambulance.”
Sometimes, all it takes is one sober friend to save an entire room of people from disaster.
Ever since then, I’ve made it a habit to bring a big water bottle to summer hangouts. Not just for me, but to remind people: your body doesn’t know it’s a party. It just knows it’s 94 degrees and you’re three drinks deep.
So… What Can We Do?
Look, I’m not anti-fun. I’m not here to say don’t drink at all. I’m here to say: be smart about when, where, and how much.
If you’re swimming, surfing, or boating—skip the booze. Even experienced swimmers can misjudge currents, distance, or their own limits when alcohol is involved.
If you’re hosting a party—offer good food and non-alcoholic options. Eating slows down how fast alcohol hits your bloodstream, and having something besides wine coolers or craft beer shows you care.
If you’re traveling—watch your intake. Respect different alcohol strengths, and be cautious when mixing drinks with medications or heat.
If you’re in the sun—lather up, and hydrate. Drinking alcohol in the sun is like adding fuel to a fire that’s already dehydrating your body.
If you’re planning to drive—don’t drink. Period. You don’t need to be legally drunk to be unsafe behind the wheel.
I know clinking glasses in the sunset is part of the summer dream. But I also know that not all summer stories end with laughter. Some end in sirens, in hospital beds, in regret.
So this summer, let’s make our memories last for the right reasons. Raise your glass—just make sure it’s not at the cost of someone’s safety. And sometimes, the best drink is the one you didn’t have.
Because the question isn’t “Can I have one more?”
It’s: Will that one more steal the joy I’ve waited all year for?
Let this be the summer we sip smart, swim safe, and show up for each other.
Cheers to that.