Washington sends BAC back to states .02 lower

Washington sends BAC back to states .02 lower

Beer, wine and spirits interests have said a .10 blood alcohol concentration a fair enough marker, one that keeps the social drinker on the right side of the law.

That argument, however, isn't enough. And neither is an .08 BAC any longer.

President Clinton recently approved a $58 billion transportation spending measure calling for de facto nationwide enforcement of a .08-percent BAC, a move that will lower the legal limit of alcohol in the bloodstream in 32 states.

"This 0.08 standard is the biggest step to toughen drunk driving laws and reduce alcohol-related crashes since a national minimum drinking age was established a generation ago," Clinton said.

Anything done in the name of fighting drunk driving won't have too many critics.

"We stood up to the liquor lobby in defense of safer roads," added Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY).

Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute said the measure was "disappointing, primarily because it is a step in the wrong direction and fails to focus on the real source of the drunk driving problem, namely the chronic, repeat offender whose BAC is at or above .15."

American Beverage Institute spokesman John Doyle concurred, stating, "This law will not save lives. It will arrest and jail people who are responsible social drinkers."

Under the new law, states that fail to comply with the new standard by 2004 will lose 2 percent of their federal highway funding; that figure rises to 8 percent for those who don't comply by 2007.