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HEARTBREAKER

SARATOGIANMonday, March 14, 2011Online@Local Video

Testimonials from severalsubjects of our AlcoholismSeries are available.

Ballston Spa High Schoolstudents discuss theirrobotics projects

State Parks official says

she is optimistic aboutthe 2011 season

Web Commentof the Day

Georgieboy1967 wrote:Most college students today

have ID which purports tomake them 21, old enough tobuy alcohol. Bar owners and

servers are exempt fromprosecution when shown IDfrom a patron which shows

an age over 21, no matterhow phony the proof of age.

Recently four underagepeople attacked a patron atComptons diner and were

purported to have beendrinking. Did they have

phony proof of age? Ourpolice, if so inclined, can

inspect anyones proof onentering an alcohol-servingestablishment and arrest

anyone using phony proof inorder to obtain alcoholicbeverages. Perhaps an

inspection of ID in the variousbars in Saratoga will help

curtail underage drinking andthe problems that follow.

On the article,Alcoholism Series:

The corrosive cultureof alcoholism

Poll QuestionDo you agree with proposed

changes to track-seasonstaple Siros restaurants

concert hours andpermitted noise levels?

Answer atwww.saratogian.com/news

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Streaks fall in hockey state championship. Page 1B

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LOCAL

The Suffolk County Legislature will de-cide in a special meeting Wednesday

whether Suffolk Off Track Bettingshould be authorized to file for

Chapter 9 bankruptcy. Page 2APage 2A

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GOOD MORNING!INDEX

Have a great day,Saratogian subscriber

Charles Angeles.

WEATHER

Todays forecast:Partly sunny

High 39. Low 17.Page 12A

OBITUARIES

Lois Ritunoof Saratoga Springs.

Page 10A

Check out whoshiring locally:

Amsterdam Printing,DiSiena Furniture,

Home of the Good Shepherd,NFI Industries, Pizza Hut

Saratoga Deliveries.http://jobs.saratogian.com

Tonights GiveawaySPAC & TRACK2 Tickets to concert of Choice &

VIP Suite at The Track

St. PaddysCelebration Continues

Buckets 5 for $15

Blog of Note

Read blogs from Saratogian

staffers and members ofthe community at

www.saratogian.com/blogs

ofcultureCorrosive

Day 1: OverviewTrends

Today: Crime and alcohol useDWI: How the system

worksIgnition interlocks

Day 3: Treatment optionsWhat is AA?Quiz for drinkers

Senateweighs

racingboardBill would giveracing fans avoice in policyBy PAUL POSTThe Saratogian

SARATOGA SPRINGS Abill to establish a fan advisory

board, an I Love New York Rac-ing campaign and a breedingfarm award is moving forwardin the Legislature.

The senate racing committeethis week unanimouslyapproved the bill (S3759-2011),co-sponsored by ChairmanJohn Bonacic, R-Middletown,and Sen. Roy J. McDonald,R-Saratoga.

The measure is expected towin easy passage in the fullSenate, possibly in the comingweek, if a companion bill gainsbacking in the Assembly.

We have to build the fanbase; that needs to be the clearmission, said Michael Amo,chairman of the SaratogaSprings-based ThoroughbredRacing Fan Association, alsocalled ThoroFan. The 600-mem-ber, nationwide organization

was founded in 2008 with a goalof introducing more people tothe sport. The group is a drivingforce behind the new legislationthat would amend the stateRacing, Pari-Mutuel Wageringand Breeding Law. Proposedprograms would not requirestate funding.

A seven-member board,named by the governor and leg-islative leaders, would adviseNew Yorks Racing and Wager-ing Board the states regula-tory body on fan-relatedissues. Amo said the tracksfocus most of their efforts ontrying to grow handle and dontspend enough time reachingout to new fans.

In Saratoga, ThoroFan hasalready led a number of educa-tional initiatives, both on-track

and at hotels where racingfans stay during the summermeet. Amo said hed like to seea program modeled afterSanta Anitas Clockers Cor-ner at Saratoga, where fansinteract with jockeys andtrainers during early-morningworkouts.

I have not seen the Thoro-Fan bill so I cannot comment onit directly, but NYRA certainlysupports fan initiatives, NewYork Racing Association Presi-dent Charles Hayward said.

Please see RACING, Page 12A

Spinningout of control

AlcoholismAlcoholism

Alcoholism: How the mighty may fallBy PATRICK H. DONGES

The Saratogian

For John Sweeney, the deci-sion to sober up was a matter oflife and death.

I was contemplating hangingmyself, he said, recalling histhoughts as he lay in bed afterhis April 5, 2009, drunk drivingarrest, his second in less thantwo years. I found myself in aplace of despair that I couldntget out of. I had reached an end.

Instead of reaching for thebelt, or for the bottle, he beganto think of his obligations to hisfamily, especially his three chil-dren, and experienced what hedescribed as an awakening.

I thought about what I hadleft on the shelf that I hadntdone as a parent. I made the

decision that I needed to surren-der to something else, he said.There had to be something elseout there that would help mechange. I wanted to live.

Sweeney, who represented

the 20th Congressional Districtfrom 1999 to 2006, says he waspredisposed to alcohol abuse.

I grew up in a place and at atime when it was prevalent andit was accepted, he said. Hefelt closer to his parents, espe-cially his father, when alcoholwas involved. It was part of thematuration process.

He took his first drink at age14 or 15, the consequences ofwhich were almost immediate.He stole and totaled his girl-friends parents car while drunk.

By LUCIAN McCARTYThe Saratogian

The Saratoga Springs Police Department made 1,139 arrestsin 2010. Of those arrested, 438 nearly 40 percent were intox-icated at the time of their arrest, according to Chief ChristopherCole. That number doesnt include those who committed acrime while intoxicated but were not arrested until later.

Im gathering there are a lot more out there, Cole said.Though those arrested are not necessarily alcoholics, many

cases reflect varying degrees of alcohol abuse.On Thursday, for St. Patricks Day, city police and other law

enforcement agencies will be stepping up patrols, a common prac-tice for drinking-related occasions. It was a year ago that down-town St. Patricks partying turned into tragedy, with a pre-dawnhit and run that left one young man dead and two others in prison.

The Saratogian file photo

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j=f What law enforcement deals with. Page 7A DWI convictions and the Ignition Interlock device. Page 6A Statistics on violent crime related to alcohol abuse. Page 6A Personal profiles. Page 7A

Editors note: This is the second in a three-day series ofstories by The Saratogian examining local issues related toalcoholism, the law and treatment. The package, includingvideos, will also be posted at www.saratogian.com.

Please see ALCOHOL, Page 6A

Please see SWEENEY, Page 7A

STATE RACING