Volunteers invited to get drunk at Washington State Patrol Academy

Shelton, Wash. – Dozens were invited to the Washington State Patrol Academy to get drunk in an effort to help train cadets to recognize impaired drivers.

Last month at the WSP Training Academy in Shelton, volunteers lined up–to get liquored up. Troopers call it a ‘wet lab’, and it takes place for every Trooper Basic class.

The volunteers come in and drink for a few hours while their blood-alcohol levels are monitored by certified trainers. Cadets then come in to administer field sobriety tests.

Once the training is over, volunteers are safely driven home by friends.

WSP troopers add, “While drinking at a law enforcement facility may seem silly, impaired driving is not. Every year, law enforcement sees an increase in vehicle-related deaths during the holiday months.”

According to WSP, it’s important to teach cadets early on how to detect and take impaired drivers off the road.