Column: Making good New Year's choices

I'm a bit of a New Year's humbug. I really don't celebrate the holiday. I'm usually "sawing logs" between one year and the next by the time the ball drops on the West Coast.

The last day of the year, after all, is pretty much like its first day. The calendar change is just a date to me.

But there is one value about New Year's that I do appreciate: Choices.

Our past, present and future are each shaped by our choices. We make them every day, from little choices to big decisions.

At New Year's we can look back at the choices we made in the year that's been and focus on making better choices in the year to come.

One of the first choices we make in that transition between the end of one year and the beginning of the next is how we decide to celebrate the new year.

We can elect to celebrate responsibly, respecting the rights of others, or we can choose to party without regard for anyone else.

The fact that New Year's Eve parties are typically knee-deep in alcohol makes the case that there are arguably more inebriated people on this day than any other.

In Nevada, rates of intoxication are already highly concentrated due to our more relaxed laws, plentiful vices, and broad access to alcohol.

I'd be willing to wager that Las Vegas has one of the highest concentrations of drunk celebrants per capita on New Year's Eve than elsewhere across the country.

Then add Reno and Lake Tahoe to the mix.

I'm not much of a drinker, so I cannot relate to the testimonies of those who enjoy getting buzzed, pickled, trashed or wasted.

A beer here and there, a glass of wine on occasion, maybe a nip now and then of a fine liqueur. But that's the extent of it for me. I like to keep my wits about me, so that I am still free to make responsible choices.

Substances like alcohol and other drugs take the ability and the liberty to make good decisions away from the individual.

Intoxication literally arrests the human brain, holding it captive and impairing its ability to think, sense or act in a reasonable manner.

Adding to the risks of impaired decision-making is the legalization of recreational marijuana, and Nevada is one of about 20 states nationwide now that has put weed on retail shelves.

We can argue "to infinity and beyond" about the dangers or virtues of this seemingly idyllic wonder drug that can do no wrong. But that's a topic for another column. This one is about intoxication and impairment from drug and alcohol use on New Year's Eve.

The time to make good choices is not after we have started drinking or using. We must be proactive and make these decisions before celebrating. A little bit of planning ahead of time can save us and others a lot of grief at New Year's.

If you are planning to drink alcohol and/or use marijuana on New Year's Eve, then plan your way back home safely, too.

Arrange for a sober designated driver or have enough ready cash on hand to pay for a taxicab, Uber or Lyft ride home.

If you are planning to party near hotels or motels, consider booking a close-by room in advance so you don't have to go anywhere beyond casual walking distance, and you can sleep off your intoxication in a safe place.

There are much better choices than driving under the influence of intoxicants.

Making that responsible choice now and following through with it on New Year's Eve can ensure the transition from one year to the next will not end tragically.

One of the last decisions you may make at the end of 2018 and one of the first choices you make at the beginning of 2019 could be the most significant, the most defining of either year. Maybe even the most important decision of your life.

You don't want to look back a year from now and say to yourself, "I wish I had made a better choice then. Somebody could still be alive and I wouldn't be living with this regret for the rest of my life."

Your New Year's choices start now. Make them count for you, not against you.