A prestigious scientific panel is recommending that states significantly lower their drunken driving thresholds as part of a blueprint to eliminate the "entirely preventable" 10,000 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in the United States each year.
The U.S. government-commissioned, 489-page report by a panel of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released Wednesday throws the weight of the scientific body behind lowering the blood-alcohol concentration threshold from 0.08 to 0.05. All states have 0.08 thresholds. A Utah law passed last year that lowers the state's threshold to 0.05 doesn't go into effect until Dec. 30.
The amount of alcohol required to reach 0.05 would depend on several factors, including the person's size and whether the person has recently eaten. A 150-pound man might be over the 0.05 limit after two beers, while a 120-pound woman could exceed it after a single drink, according to the American Beverage Institute, a national restaurant group.
The panel also recommended that states significantly increase alcohol taxes and make alcohol less conveniently available, including reducing the hours and days alcohol is sold in stores, bars and restaurants. Research suggests a doubling of alcohol taxes could lead to an 11 percent reduction in traffic crash deaths, the report said.
It also calls for cracking down on sales to people under 21 or who are already intoxicated to discourage binge drinking, and putting limits on alcohol marketing while funding anti-alcohol campaigns similar to those against smoking.
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5 comments:
Lower the BAC level and raise taxes.
Good for the States, the lawyers and the insurance companies.
Bad for restaurants and bars, bartenders and wait staff.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to require a breathalyzer/ignition lockout in every car.
It should be lowered! DUI means driving under the influence!!!! Tougher laws! Too many people injured, property damage, and lives destroyed because people thought they could handle their alcohol!
Couple things here make me really laugh:
(1) "It also calls for cracking down on sales to people under 21 or who are already intoxicated to discourage binge drinking.."
In their right mind, which merchant out there is going to sell to drunks, let alone drunks under the age of 21. GOOD GRIEF SCIENCE PANEL!
(2) "The panel also recommended that states significantly increase alcohol taxes and make alcohol less conveniently available, including reducing the hours and days alcohol is sold in stores, bars and restaurants."
It took YEARS just to get alcohol sold 7 days a week (for the youngin's out there, many southern states would not sell alcohol on Sunday's since it was consider a church/family day of togetherness. Mind you, going to church you'd get your wine, then you'd go out to lunch/w family and be served alcohol anyway. No selling of alcohol on Sunday was called the "Blue Law".)
Alcohol is part of the American economic engine - more today than ever. To continuing taxing it like cigs to deter driving - COME ON MAN!!! Make the penalty for driving drunk much higher with larger consequences - don't penalize those who don't break the law!
Happy TGIF!!!!
States should have mandatory 30 days in jail for 1st. offence, and no work release, regular jail, a small cell with Bubba. 2nd offence is 6 months, 3rd. offence or 3rd. strike, 5 years in Prison, as the blocks sex toy!
We need to get tough on these repeat offenders! It is such a joke, people still driving with 4, 5 6 or more DUIs.
Incrementalism
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