News Room

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI), a restaurant trade association, criticized a new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report on ‘drinking and driving.’

WASHINGTON – The American Institute of Philanthropy’s (AIP) Charity Rating Guide & Watchdog Report has downgraded Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to a “D” rating on a A-F scale in its August 2010 report.

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI), which represents over 8,000 American restaurants including over 230 in New York, criticized Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) for driving a movement to mandate alcohol detection devices in all cars.

A restaurant industry group voiced its opposition Wednesday to Rep. John Sarbanes' (D-Md.) push to mandate alcohol detection devices in all cars.

The movement to rid the roads of drunk drivers is nearing a watershed as states increasingly mandate the use of ignition breathalyzers for first-time offenders. The political will to require their use will be tested this week in Richmond and in Annapolis, when lawmakers consider following the lead of 12 other states where a first conviction results in mandatory use. Ten other states are debating whether to take the same step.

NEENAH — A plan by Neenah police to conduct voluntary sobriety checkpoints aimed at deterring drunken driving ignited a firestorm of reaction Wednesday.

It's classic bait and switch. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) claims that his ROADS SAFE Act—which authorizes a $60 million taxpayer investment in a government program to further develop sophisticated in-vehicle technology that would keep a car from starting if the driver’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level was above a pre-set limit—is all about stopping drunk drivers. This sounds like an excellent idea. After all, who doesn’t want to get dangerous drunk drivers off the road? That’s the bait. Here’s the switch: This taxpayer-funded federal program, known as DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety), is actually developing alcohol detection technology to come as standard equipment in all cars.

The World Health Organization has set its sights on your pint glass. It has decided that alcohol belongs alongside AIDS and influenza as a critical global medical issue, and that combating alcohol abuse requires harsh new restrictions on even the most moderate of drinkers.

The Post’s devotion to mandatory minimum sentences in DUI cases is puzzling [“Coddling drunk drivers,” editorial, March 30], considering that a week earlier its editorial board argued against mandatory minimums for crack cocaine possession, praising a new bill for giving “judges a greater degree of discretion” in sentencing low-level drug offenders [“Fairness in sentencing,” editorial, March 23].