MADD Campaign Targets 'Social Drinkers'

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The American Beverage Institute warns all moderate social drinkers that their right to have a beer at a ballgame or a glass of wine with dinner is under attack. At a press conference yesterday morning at the National Press Club, Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced a long-term campaign to seek wide- spread use of ignition interlocks. This is part of MADD's over-all strategy to put ignition interlocks in every car in America. Following the press conference ABI spokeswoman Sarah Longwell said, "This interlock campaign is not about eliminating drunk driving, it is about eliminating all moderate drinking prior to driving. The 40 million Americans who drink and drive responsibly should be outraged".

While MADD claimed that all alcohol detection devices installed in cars would be set at the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of .08% the ABI points out that this is unlikely.

"All in-car alcohol detection devices will invariably be set below .08%", said Longwell. "Many states have laws that set the presumptive level of intoxication at .05% and you can't adjust your interlock depending on which state you're driving in. Moreover, once you factor in liability issues and sharing vehicles with underage drivers you have pushed the preset limit down to about .02%. It will be a de facto zero tolerance policy".

"Even at .08%", Longwell continued, "that means that a 120 pound woman who has had two glasses of wine over a two hour period won't be able to start her car. Prohibitionism is returning with a vengeance".

The American Beverage Institute is an association of restaurants committed to the responsible serving of adult beverages.

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