We've seen a couple situations in the past few weeks that make me think this issue needs to be discussed explicitly.
The FBI guy who lost his gun at a bar while executing a back flip and then shot a fellow bar patron while picking the gun up is the first, the CCW carrier who was at a bar celebrating a basketball victory, decided to try breaking up a fight, lost his gun in the tussel and was killed by a LEO when he tried to pick up the gun against the LEO's instructions was the second.
When I began hunting and shooting at age 9 (68+years ago) the rule was (and still is) that nobody in the party carries or even handles a gun after consuming ANY booze.
If you're hunting and want a beer with lunch, you're not hunting with us that afternoon. You don't carry a gun if you're having wine with dinner. Guns at home are all locked up if you're having a beer on a hot afternoon, wine with dinner or even one adult beverage watching the game of the week at home Sunday afternoon.
Why? Because even one drink impairs judgement and motor skills. All the good training in the world won't overcome that impairment.
But, you say, one or two beers won't make you legally drunk. No, it won't get you to DUI per se blood alcohol levels: but it can impair your ability EVER SO SLIGHTLY: the definition of Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) here in Colorado.
I've gotten convictions for DWAI on drivers who's blood alcohol was a third of the DUI per se standard: the juries had no problem delivering guilty verdicts.
I've heard lots of folks declare that they know themselves well enough to know they can have a beer or two without adverse impact. They're fooling themselves. The ability to judge their own impairment is itself impaired by the booze.
If you're going to drink, even just one beer, lock up the guns.
