The holiday when many claim to be Irish is coming up soon.

St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday, and many will be celebrating. With celebrations though, come reminders of safety. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Shelby McCreedy says that St. Patrick’s Day is actually the most popular holiday in the nation, and that just like any other holiday, law enforcement will be out with extra numbers to make sure people are safe. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio why it’s important that they do that this weekend.

“With St. Patrick’s Day being one of the most popular holidays, obviously there’s a major increase in not only beer sales, but alcohol consumption, which leads to a higher probability of impaired driving. So the other issue with St. Patrick’s Day this year, is it falls on a Sunday. So with being a holiday on a weekend, that affords additional opportunity for extended celebrations, extended alcohol consumption.”

McCreedy mentions that the increased presence will come not only from state agencies like the ISP, but local agencies as well like the County Sheriff’s Offices and city police forces. She adds that a good way to celebrate but still be safe is to plan ahead and stick to that plan. McCreedy explains that if individuals plan to go out and consume alcohol, they should have a designated driver, or plan on getting a ride back home from a service like a taxi. She says that there should also be no deviations from the plan, that once it’s been decided on, that is what individuals and anyone they are celebrating with should adhere to.