A Covert War Against Drinking - American Beverage Institute

would have something better to do thanplay hall monitor.The county constables insist that theirpolicy of harassing social drinkers is “proactive,”and claim to be targeting “the rootcauses of alcohol-related deaths.” 83 In otherwords, they’re subjecting people to arrest forwhat they might do. As former CongressmanBob Barr (R-GA) noted in the wake of theraids, The Department of Precrime in theTom Cruise film Minority Report was supposedto be fictional. 84 Unfortunately, whenit comes to the zeal of anti-alcohol forces, itseems that nothing is off limits.MADD’s hijacking of the anti-drunk-drivingcrusade into a never-ending agendaadvocating zero-tolerance proceeds apace.In an effort to demonize even prudent alcoholconsumption, the organization hasofficially advocated a substantial increasein taxation on alcoholic beverages. 85Moreover, MADD opposes legal reforms toeliminate “joint and several liability.” 86 Thatis, it supports “deep pockets” litigation,believing that companies tangentially connectedwith product misuse should be liablein case of a mishap. Such legal practicesobviously increase pressure on corporationsto suppress product sales as a meansof self-protection.There is some good news: The nation’s antialcoholreligion wanes as well as waxes. InAmerica’s early days, writes Edward Behr,everyone drank, including the babies whosemilk was laced with rum and the horsebackpreachers whose calls were occasions to tipa jug. 87 Later came the keg-busters and thehatchet brigades, which have returned, if insomewhat blander form. But if history is aguide, they will not endure.Focus on Drunk Driving, not DrinkingI worry that the movement I helped createhas lost direction. [.08 legislation]ignores the real core of the problem…Ifwe really want to save lives, let’s go afterthe most dangerous drivers on the road.—Candy Lightner, founder of MADD 88What is to be done? We must unmask thetrue menace — the chronic, ungovernabledrunk driver who is not deterred by drunkdriving laws of any kind. Political and financialresources being finite, it’s imperativenot to spend them chasing responsible socialdrinkers just to keep special interest groupsin business.Even MADD occasionally shows signs ofunderstanding the real problem when itcomes to drunk driving. In late 1999, itlaunched a nationwide offensive against“repeat offenders and super-drunk drivers.” 89In a press release, it cited NHTSA data thatspotlighted, for once, the real problem.According to NHTSA, two-thirds of all alcohol-relatedhighway deaths implicate driverswith a BAC level of .15% or higher. 90 Indeed,the driver who killed MADD founder CandyLightner’s daughter had a .20% BAC. 91 Andthe killer of former MADD President KarolynNunnallee’s child registered .24% BAC. 92 Toobad MADD generally ignores the evidencethat strikes closest to home.Even when public attitudes toward drinkingand driving were highly permissive, the12American Beverage Licensees | America's Beer, Wine, and Spirits Retailers