Washington, D.C. (January 6, 2021)—Today, legislation (S131) was introduced in the New York Senate to lower the legal blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving from 0.08 to 0.05—a 40 percent reduction. A 120-pound woman can reach a 0.05 BAC arrest level after consuming little more than a single drink. The American Beverage Institute (ABI)—a restaurant trade association—strongly opposes the measure.

ABI released the following statement:

We have no doubt that supporters of Senate Bill 131 have good intentions, but simply watering down the definition of “drunk” will do nothing to save lives, while also arresting responsible consumers. Law enforcement should be focused on high-BAC product abuse. The vast majority of alcohol-related traffic fatalities occur well above the current legal limit of 0.08. These are the people who are abusing alcohol, not a 120-pound woman who had little more than a glass of wine prior to driving.