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[D502]Do You Know Where Going To

by Max Plata, Max

When preparing for a trip out of the country, you will have to worry about a lot of things. Not only are there items such as your passport to be concerned with, but you also have to think about your money, which means you're going to have research exchange rates in order to make sure you bring enough money along with you on your trip.

You will find that no matter what country you travel to, their currency is remarkably different from American currency in regards to details such as style, color and texture, but even more importantly – value.

You have a few options to choose from when you are traveling, in which to exchange your money. The exchange rate changes daily because it is based off the markets of every county, so what you might have received for $20 yesterday, may not be the same today (and as a side note, don't be shocked when you find that your American money is worth far less in other countries, the strength of the American dollar is greatly diminished in today's market).

For this reason, you are going to want to research ahead before flying to make sure you bring enough money. You can also keep things simple by using travel checks, but this is not always feasible for everyone. Also, don't forget to account for the fee you will have to pay when exchanging currency, especially if you do it at a bank. This fee alone can be a little exorbitant which is why more and more people are opting to use travelers checks or credit cards when traveling; if you opt to use credit cards make sure you carry the big three: Visa, MasterCard and American Express. By doing this you won't have to worry about any restaurants or stores not accepting your cards.

Aside from knowing the exchange rate, it is also important you understand the currency of the country in which you are visiting. You may become very confused when shopping in a foreign country. Make it a point to know the country's money system and be able to read price tags.

International travel is a big undertaking, as well as a big responsibility. This type of travel can be great fun and a wonderful life experience, but it is important that you go into it prepared, both with common sense and plenty of money. If it is your first time traveling out of the country, you are going to find this task a bit awkward and frustrating at first, but it gets easier and easier, and eventually becomes a task you never forget how to do properly. Stay informed for the sake of your money and the unique experience your trip will provide you.

It is likely that you will have a drug/alcohol screen/evaluation for your arrest for DWI for the following three reasons:
1.Under NYS law, an alcohol/drug screening and evaluation is mandatory if your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) at the time of your arrest (as measured by the breath test) was .15 or higher.
2.The results of an evaluation can prove helpful to your lawyer for plea bargaining purposes to demonstrate that your conduct on the night of the arrest was a one time event, and not a pattern of alcohol abuse behavior.
3.The alcohol screening/evaluation is part of the DMV's DDP (Drinking Driver Program) and must be done to obtain a conditional driving privilege. The program's completion is predicated upon a follow through with any treatment recommendations made by the OASAS (Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services) certified provider. They have an excellent website to locate providers in your area, just put OASAS into Google.
My advice before having your alcohol screening/evaluation:

1. Be prepared to answer questions about your drug and/or alcohol use.

Read through the MAST (Michigan Alcohol Screening Test) to have an idea of the type of questions that will be on the screening forms. Within the DDP program the alcohol screening is a questionnaire/form to determine if you need an evaluation/assessment by a provider.

2. Be prepared to provide a urine sample for a drug screen.

NOTE: Drug screens are not drug tests. Screens are very general, fast, and inexpensive. They have a high sensitivity (show allot of false positives), and are not specific as to quality or type of drug. A drug test is very specific, and designed to qualify and quantify a certain drug. You may not have to provide a urine sample but why risk it. It is always better to expect to give a clean sample than to decline. I tell all my clients to avoid being around cannabis for at least four weeks prior to the test and other drugs for at least two weeks before the screen.

Many drugs both legal and illegal have a long half life (stay in your body for a long period of time). The way half life works is that every 7 days half the drug is left over after your use. After an additional 7 days half of the remaining half is left over- that is 1/4 left. After an additional 7 days, half of the remaining 1/4 is left- that is 1/8 of the original dose and so on. After 5 half lives 1/64 of the drug may be left- at this point it is likely that there will not be any clinical effect from the drug. This half life is dependent upon the frequency of the drug's usage, method of intake, length of usage, your tolerance to the drug, your fluid intake, your body size, your body fat, your metabolism, and the specific range that the drug testing uses to signify a ?positive? for drug use. THC in particular is stored by the body in the fatty lipid tissue and are gradually released into the blood stream until cleared. For chronic users with a high body fat percentage, this process of elimination can take several weeks. Sometimes people on diets may be burning off fat, and releasing stored drugs (drugs stored in fat cells) into their urine.

The table below gives a guide to detection periods for many commonly used drugs:

Drug & Approximate Time Period of Detection

Alcohol 6'24 hours Amphetamines 2'3 days Barbiturates 1 day to 3 weeks Benzodiazepines 3'7 days Cocaine 2'5 days Euphoric (MDMA, Ecstasy) 1'3 days Marijuana (THC) 7'30 days (mild use - moderate use - frequent/chronic use)Steroids (anabolic) 14'30 days

Any prescription drugs not reported to the provider but that may show up in your urine will be suspect as drugs of abuse. Remember that second-hand cannabis smoke exposure can also cause you to fail a standard urine drug screen.

Some OTC (over the counter) medications can also trigger false positives on drug screens:

? Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) ? Midol ? Sudafed ? Vicks Nasal Spray ? Neosynephren ? Ephedra and Ephedrine (often in diet products) ? Vicks 44

If you are determined to be a drug abuser (having drugs in your system that are unreported, unprescribed, and/or illegal) you will get a treatment recommendation of 3-12 months time. This is usually a twelve step based group and/or individual program with a frequency of 2-3 times per week. This program is likely to include follow up drug screens, and an order to completely stay away from drugs and alcohol. Note: You are allowed to obtain one second opinion concerning your evaluation. This second evaluation is then the final one for the Court.

3. Be prepared to follow through on all recommended treatment, and evaluations because the Court is going to want proof of completion.

If you receive a CD (conditional discharge) from the Court this will be one of terms of that discharge. If you fail to meet the Court's conditions your case can be re-opened and your failure will be considered a violation of the Court's Order.

If your alcohol evaluation indicates a "no treatment recommended" that will often be helpful to avoid the prosecutor (Assistant District Attorney) recommending a term of probation as a condition of your final sentence. This report of No Treatment by an evaluator can also assist your attorney in getting a ADWI (Aggravated DWI) charge where your BAC was .18 or higher reduced to a "regular" DWI.

I hope that this article sheds some much needed light on the DWI alcohol evaluation process.

Article Source : Pg. 19

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Both Max Plata & Lawrence Newman are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Max Plata has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Family Concerns and Home Management. You will find more from this author at: . Max Plata's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.

Lawrence Newman has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances. Lawrence Newman love practicing DWI defense law within the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. For more information about : Three Things You Mus. Lawrence Newman's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.