- Joined
- Jul 21, 2005
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- 51,676
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- Washington, DC
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- Conservative
Currently intoxication under the law is defined as .08 blood alcohol level. Due to some recent occurences I've begun to wonder if this should be changed.
On one hand, DUI's seem to be continually increasing in this country. Should we lower the definition of intoxication to something closer to .06 or .04? This way even a little alcohol is likely to put you over the legal limit of intoxication and thus people are more deterred from diving under any circumstances.
On the flip side, alcohol affects everyone seemingly at different rates. Would you instead be willing to change the definition to intoxication to where between .08 and say .12 the officer has discretion to consider you not-intoxicated due to a variety of tests?
Finally, do you think blood alcohol level should be used to determine "drunk in public" offenses, and do you think the definition of intoxication for those situations should be higher...say something like .16 or similar. Since its rather easy not to be "drunk" to an obnoxious level it seems making it illegal to be in public with the current legal limit counter productive.
What are your thoughts, do you think it would be helpful to change the definition of intoxication under the law?
On one hand, DUI's seem to be continually increasing in this country. Should we lower the definition of intoxication to something closer to .06 or .04? This way even a little alcohol is likely to put you over the legal limit of intoxication and thus people are more deterred from diving under any circumstances.
On the flip side, alcohol affects everyone seemingly at different rates. Would you instead be willing to change the definition to intoxication to where between .08 and say .12 the officer has discretion to consider you not-intoxicated due to a variety of tests?
Finally, do you think blood alcohol level should be used to determine "drunk in public" offenses, and do you think the definition of intoxication for those situations should be higher...say something like .16 or similar. Since its rather easy not to be "drunk" to an obnoxious level it seems making it illegal to be in public with the current legal limit counter productive.
What are your thoughts, do you think it would be helpful to change the definition of intoxication under the law?