"Is it time for a zero-alcohol limit for drivers?"

[SueDonim]

I saw this article this morning https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/john-macdo...GQVYO4RPU/.

A "zero" limit is impractical because of the presence of alcohol in unexpected places - eg medications like cough mixture.

On the other hand the author is thinking in the right direction. If only everyone would follow his example to simply choose not to drink when they intend to drive home. Our society has such a dependence on alcohol that it's really out of hand. Enforcement is only necessary because, like in so many situations, people simply won't do the right thing for the right reason.

It is several years now since the studies showing that there is no safe limit of alcohol intake first came out, but everyone still drinks. They could stop for purely health reasons. Then they would have more money to spend on things that they might enjoy more anyway, and without the alcohol in their lives would potentially have a longer and healthier life expectancy to continue that enjoyment.

Yet we still get articles like this one https://abc7.com/guinness-beer-stout-wha.../12969357/ being re-hashed in our local press. The actual article was 2017 which might be just before the "no safe limit" studies came out, but I saw it recently in one of our local news sites - they should know better. Why is it so acceptable to continue promoting something so harmful on so many levels? Alcohol should be going the way of cigarettes. Acknowledge and recognise the harm and push society away from the destruction it causes.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The road toll would be cut down if we did. Maybe we should just require all cars imported to NZ have the Smart Locks installed, with a retrofit requirement for WoF.

[nzoomed]

I would say no to a zero limit for the same reasons as the OP has quoted.
Ive been caught out once as I had been handling methylated spirits when I was washing down some car parts.
Turns out I must have absorbed some of it into my body.
They tested me a second time and just said "dont get pissed" and let me through.
Those roadside tests are really just to screen if you have any noticeable level of alcohol in your body though, but still a major inconvenience and embarrassment to go to the station for a evidential test.

[Lilith7]

The road toll would be cut down if we did. Maybe we should just require all cars imported to NZ have the Smart Locks installed, with a retrofit requirement for WoF.

That makes sense. The alcohol industry won't like it one little bit, which is a factor in its favour.

Of all the drugs we could have legalised, alcohol has to be one of the worst.


I think its past time for an overhaul of all our drug laws, & we could do far worse than to emulate Portugal which decriminalised over a decade ago & now has a far lesser problem with an extremely low death rate from overdose, having sensible decided to treat drug use as a health issue.

[Zurdo]

Car parks at pubs. That says it's ok to drive home after a few beers.

[Lilith7]

Car parks at pubs. That says it's ok to drive home after a few beers.

And that is an excellent point. 

The alcohol industry makes rather nice profits from their product which includes from people who then proceed to drive drunk. Perhaps the alcohol industry might like to show their genuine remorse for the part they play by providing free transport in the form of a  bus to get patrons home, financing to come from their existing profits rather than a price increase.

I expect they could manage something....