The day before Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as “Blackout Wednesday,” a nod to the fact that it is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, a day when old friends and family are back in town with a holiday ahead to recover. 

In some areas, Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, and it is known the kick-off to the festive holiday season. 

A 2017 study by UPSERVE restaurant management, states that beer sales increased 270%, liquor sales by 114%, and “growler” sales by a staggering 658% on the night before Thanksgiving.

Western North Carolina’s regional DWI taskforce has renewed its push to pass several new drunk-driving bills into law during next year’s long session in Raleigh. 

 This holiday season, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program joins local and state law enforcement to urge drivers against impaired driving. 

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program identified the seven western counties as a pilot region to test new strategies to curb drunk driving.

Western North Carolina has one of the most proactive anti-drunk driving forces in the state, and now a contingent from this region is pushing for a new set of laws that will further restrictions.