South Dakota had a drinking problem. A rural state with a sparse population and few public transportation options available, driving under the influence of alcohol had become a major issue. Then three years ago, something changed, causing alcohol related crime to drop, and making the roads safer.

South Dakota launched the 24/7 Sobriety Project. The program makes DWI offenders take an alcohol breath test twice a day, charging them a dollar for each test. Those who pass walk free, but those who fail can wind up in for anywhere between 24 and 48 hours. The goal, as the program's name suggests, is absolute sobriety for previous offenders, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The program also reduces costs for the state, by reducing the number of people in prison.

Bootlegging was written into the U.S. constitution 90 years ago today. On January 16, 1920, the prohibitionists finally got what they had been fighting for decades: the federal government had banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol. The prohibition movement had be active since 1810 and its legacy is still visible today.

It looks like one of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s New Year's resolutions is to encourage all Russians to think twice about reaching for their favorite drink.

As of January 1st, he’s setting a higher minimum price for Vodka in Russia. It’s an attempt to cut alcoholism in the country with the highest per-capita alcohol consumption in the world.

But how popular is a forced New Year's detox with ordinary Russians? We ask Boris Maksimov, a reporter with the BBC Russian service; he joins us from London.

For our family segment, we take a look at a recent government report that shows a 30 percent increase in the number of women arrested for drinking and driving in the past ten years. This report comes out amidst a vigorous discussion in the blogosphere about mothers who drink. Are mothers more stressed out than they used to be, or has the feminist movement made it more socially acceptable to drink than a couple of generations ago?

To discuss this we speak to Lisa Belkin, writer of the New York Times' MotherLode blog; and Tara Trower, assistant features editor at the Austin American Statesman and writer for the Statesman's Mama Drama blog.