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RBPMail 4.04, April 1998
Real Beer Page Mail (RBPMail) began as a modest update to craft-brew events on the WWW. It evolved into a news digest and sometimes editorial forum. We present its contents here much as they were emailed to subscribers. Often, links you will see are out of date, and businesses referred to may also be long gone.
In this issue:
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According to a report in the March 27 Wall Street Journal, strained contract
negotiations continue between AB and the Teamsters Union. The contract under
discussion, which covers 8,000 workers, was to expire midnight Sunday. AB
claims the current contract offer will both promise job security for employees,
reduce absenteeism, increase safety and introduce a minimum $250-year bonus.
They propose changes in the calculation of a 40-hour week and the policy for
qualifying weekend work for overtime. The Teamsters are concerned that the
brewer will increase seasonal and temporary jobs and contract out minor jobs
such as maintenance. The Union's National Negotiating Committee voted to reject
the company's final offer. The membership's final vote was conducted by mail
last week.
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BUDVAR CLAIMS PROFITABLE 1997; DESPITE AB THREAT
Budejovicky Budvar n.p., makers of Czech Budweiser beer, announced February 24
that its gross profit was 430 million crowns ($12.7 million) compared to 320
million the previous year. Economic Director Petr Jansky stated that Budvar had
sales of 1.62 billion crowns in 1997, production grew 8% and that Budvar was
now exporting over 50% of its production. These figures are based on unaudited
results. Budvar has been involved in a dispute with Anheuser-Busch over the use
of the name "Budweiser." Under a 1911 agreement Budvar retained the right to
the name "Budweiser" and still has that right in most European markets.
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UB GROUP MAKES ANOTHER US ACQUISITION
Carmel Brewing Co. in Salinas, CA, was recently purchased by the UB Group in
Sausalito, CA. The deal is reported to be complete. Sources said that the
bottling line would be moved to the new Mendocino Brewing facility in Ukiah, CA
Carmel Brewing Company brands would be retained for continued production and
the rest of the brewing equipment offered for sale. Carmel Brewing's Peter B's
Brewpub in Monterey was apparently not included in the sale. The UB Group took
controlling interest in Mendocino Brewing Co., Hopland, CA late last year.
http://www.mendobrew.com
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ASAHI GAINS ON KIRIN MARKET SHARE
Japan's Asahi Breweries Ltd. reports a rise in its 1997 earnings, with record
highs for the second consecutive year. Asahi has led competitors in sales
growth, helped by the healthy showing of Super Dry beer. Profits declined in
1997, on the other hand, for Kirin, Japan's largest brewery. Kirin now claims
41.5% of total shipments by the top five Japanese beer makers, while Asahi
claims 39.1%. In 1997, however, Kirin's shipments declined 10%, while Asahi's
increased by 11%.
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BREWERIES STAND TOGETHER AGAINST UK TAX
Shepherd Neame Ltd. won the right to lodge an appeal in the London High Court
challenging the Treasury's decision to increase beer duty by a penny a pint in
last year's budget. The 300-year old family brewery argues that raising the
beer tax in Britain runs against to the Treaty of Rome European Union target
of harmonizing excise duties. Currently they are much lower for beer on the
Continent than in Britain. Britain's largest brewers, Bass Plc and Scottish &
Newcastle Plc have also protested the recent increase in the excise duty on an
English pint. The British duty, as of January, 1999, would be 32p a pint. Neame
claims that one in every three pints of beer drunk in Kent comes from Calais,
France, and that shoppers are crossing the Channel to buy cheaper beer. Average
European beer duty is about a sixth of that of Britain.
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GERMAN BARLEY GROWERS CONSIDER CUTBACKS
Low prices in 1997 have caused some German farmers to consider cutting back on
their planting of spring barley this year. German farmers harvested 4.16
million tons of spring barley last year. Over half qualified for malting,
according to Jochen Mautner GmbH, a company that issues surveys on acreage and
varieties. For several months, European malting barley prices have been low,
especially in France and Denmark, because of light demand and oversupply.
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RUSSIA IN DARK RE:US CRAFTBREW?
The message of a March 19 dispatch from Moscow to the NY-based Journal of
Commerce read, "I've been in America several times and I haven't seen anything
worse than American beer," claimed Vladimir Shishin, general director of
Pivoindustriya, Russia's beer industry association. Shishin told the Journal of
Commerce that Russian preferences in beer are so strong, they have created a
natural taste barrier to imports. The report said that the import decline was
disputed by Boston Consulting Group, whose Moscow branch has conducted several
studies of the Russian beer market for foreign and Russian brewers. Stanislav
Tsyrlin, the Group's beer expert, contended Shishin's data come from official
Russian Customs records that understate the volume of imports being smuggled
into the country. Russia's beer imports aren't declining, but they aren't
growing either, the group concedes. Tsyrlin also believes the Russian
preference for bitter, dark and thick beer consistency works against American
brands, which he told the newspaper "have the reputation for being too light,
too sweet or tasteless, and too watery."
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Although European consumers are still the major beer drinkers in the world,
energy drinks are rising in the marketplace. Two phenomena are currently
affecting the global beer industry. One is the rise of energy drinks; the
other is the sinking buying power of consumers in Asia. Health or "sporty"
drinks are being purchased by German young people, who are turning away from
their national tradition of beer drinking, according to Ludwig Narziss,
professor of brewing technology at the Technology University of Munich. Germans
still drink more beer than most, at 230 pints per capita each year. Bavarians
drink 370 pints per person every year. Japanese beer drinkers drink
approximately 44 pints of beer each year.
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JAPANESE MICRO BEATS THE ODDS
While the Japanese microbrewing industry has been growing rapidly, with
approximately 100 currently in existence, one has closed down. Csarda Brewpub
in Kobe closed at the end of January. According to Kobe locals, business had
been very bad. The location was far away from downtown, with no nearby
public transportation, and the quality of both the beer and the food was not
up to the standard expected by Kobe residents, among the most sophisticated in
Japan.
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HEINEKEN'S NET PROFIT INCREASED IN 1997
Heineken N.V., one of the world's largest brewing companies, announced on March
13 that its net profit for 1997 rose by 16% to NLG 761 million ($376 million).
Net revenues rose by 11% and operating profit rose by 19%. Sales volume in the
American market rose by 5%. Sales in Spain rose, while sales in several
countries in the Asia-Pacific region, although rising, showed lower revenues in
Dutch guilders, owing to the fall of several currencies in that region in the
second half of 1997. Breweries were consolidated in Ghana, Italy, and Chad.
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CRAFT BREWER'S CONFERENCE ONLINE
Real Beer, Inc. will be providing reports from the Craft Brewer's Conference in
Atlanta. For those traveling to the area or from the area, check out the In-
Sighter's Guide put together by our friends at Southern Draft Brew News
(southerndraft.com) which covers the better beer places in Atlanta. For
those in the industry attending the event, consider RSVPing online for our
annual Cigar Hospitality. Or come by and see us at Booth #604 during the
conference. We would love to see you in person. The conference site is at:
http://www.probrewer.com/cbc98/
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GOOD BEER AND FOOD PAIRED IN NEW BOOK
International beer writer Stephen Beaumont has compiled over 100 brewpub food
recipes, with dishes from calamari to chili to cheesecake, all cooked with
beer. The book is softcover and 208 pages deep. If you love the best of gourmet
beer and food, this is a must-read. Beaumont has also written "A Taste for
Beer" and publishes the outstanding, "World of Beer" website where his books
and tapes are also available.
Stephen Beaumont's Brewpub Cookbook
Brewers Publications
ISBN 0-937381-64-0
$18.95
http://www.worldofbeer.com/brewpub.php
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SECRETS TO GROWING HOPS VIDEO
From one hop lover to another - here is the definitive source on the how and
why of growing hops. Patrick Luzansky, author of the video, has also penned
articles on hops for Zymurgy that are available online. "Secrets To Growing
Your Own Hops" makes great family viewing, and will contribute to awesome
homebrew. Celebrate rhizome love and order a copy of your own at
http://www.netcom.com/~dluzanp
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ODELL BREWING CO.
Odell's holds claim to being the second micobrewery to open in Colorado, versus
the ninety or so micros and brewpubs that are now operational in Colorado. They
also hold claim to brewing some of the best beer in the state. For Odell's
award-winning brews, events, directions and an online store, go to:
http://www.odells.com
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RCB EQUIPMENT
Fermenters and brewers of all levels take note: RCB Equipment is the premier
business in obtaining, and reselling quality used kegs. Located near
Sacramento, CA, the focus on quality materials and low overhead operation
allows them to offer kegs to the market at extremely competitive prices,
frequently the lowest available in the nation. Check out their site at:
http://www.rcbequip.com
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Taco Mac -- more accurately, those run in Sandy Springs and Snellville by Andy
Klubock -- are the ultimate better-beer taphouses in Atlanta, GA. Now, Andy has
debuted a brand, spanking new website to cater to their informed customer base,
and it's got the foundations of being an incredible resource for the better
drinks category. The site contains a database with detailed information about
many of the 600 or so beers sold. This tool allows users to sort the beers by
draft or bottle, geographic origin, style or brand. Whoa. Up-to-date
information about products, subscriptions for e-mail notification of new beers
and menu items, as well as a calendar of upcoming events prepare you for the
pilgrimage to the real world sites. Website was designed by Relevant Arts
Enterprise (www.raenet.com) in Atlanta.
http://www.tacomac.com
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VINO'S PIZZA, PUB AND EATERY
Take a wild ride into the world of Henry Lee, proprietor of Vinos Pizza, Pub
and Eatery, the coolest and funkiest spot in Little Rock, AK. This site has a
Quick Time tour to take you through the establishment; Henry even offers a
slice of pizza to the viewer at the onset of your virtual journey. Warning:
viewing close to lunchtime may influence your appetite! Live music, menus, and
virtual postcards make this a destination site on the Internet - as much as
you'll want to head to Little Rock's Original Brewpub. Can you tell? We're
crazy about these folks:
http://www.vinosbrewpub.com
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VINTAGE CELLAR ON-LINE HOMEBREW SUPPLIES AND INGREDIENTS
The real-world location of Vintage Cellar (note: that's "Cellar" in the
singular) in Blacksburg, VA is a one-stop mecca for homebrew supplies, craft-
brews, crush-your-own and bottled wines and all kinds of gadgets, toys, hoses
and books to assist in the process. Now, Vintage Cellar can be found on-line.
The Wizards behind the Cellar can also be reached via email for all manner of
compliments, advice, questions and general rap about the joys of brewing. Surf
over to:
http://www.vintagecellar.com
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Thanks to all who have been replying to our Quickie Surveys. We draw one
winner each month for the prize of Michael Jackson's The Great Beers of
Belgium distributed by Vanberg & DeWulf (http://www.BelgianExperts.com),
Importers of fine Belgian beers and now brewers of Belgian-style beer in their
Cooperstown-based Brewery Ommegang. This month's winner was Bryan Harrell who
prefers the ales of the Belgian kind.
Last month we asked which country you prefer your imports from and we got some
great response. Consistent with past surveys about beer preference, our viewers
love diversity. Here's a summary of results:
Nearly three quarters prefer imports from England, Belgium and Germany by a
measure of 31%, 25% and 18% of respondents respectively.
The next-highest category behind the top three was "other."
There was pretty much a tie between runners-up Canada and Czechoslovakia
with Mexico and Australia right behind.
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- The Real Beer Page announces a diverse group of brew websites
to check out:
- http://www.ager-tank-equipment.com
- http://www.alaskanbeer.com
- http://www.beer-wine.com
- http://cornucopia1.com
- http://dmebrewing.com
- http://www.dosx.com
- http://eco-pakproducts.com
- http://www.freshops.com
- http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com
- http://www.homebrewsupply.com
- http://hopunion.com
- http://imperialtourtravel.com
- http://www.microbrew-invitational.com
- http://oakenbarrel.com
- http://www.srss.com
- http://www.yakimachief.com
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SENATE WANTS LOWER BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMITS
The U.S. Senate voted last week to establish an allowable blood-alcohol limit
of .08 percent from coast to coast. The provision was approved as an amendment
to the $173 billion six-year highway spending bill under consideration by the
Senate. The amendment requires that states not choosing to accept the tougher
standard would lose 5% of their federal highway money in fiscal 2002, and 10%
thereafter.
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WSJ EDITORIAL TAKES STAND AGAINST NATIONAL BAC LAW
On the same subject, the March 5 Wall Street Journal ran an editorial by Jim
Holt entitled "A MADD Law." The editorial pointed out the following:
*Average blood alcohol limit of drivers in drinking-related accidents is 0.18.
*A driver in the 0.08 to 0.10% range is about as likely as sleepy, depressed or
distracted drivers to cause an accident.
*Cell phone users have an accident rate close to that of drivers with a 0.10%
blood alcohol level.
*Elderly and diabetic drivers with hypoglycemia have higher accident rates; the
diabetic's is 19 times higher than normal.
*Teen males have accident rates 40 times higher than the general population.
Holt asks why the light drinker is to be made a criminal, while those in the
above categories are allowed to continue to drive.
For more information on this issue, see the Editorial below.
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COURT RULES AGAINST BUD GEAR
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced on March 11
that an agreement had been reached in Los Angeles Superior Court in which
Anheuser-Busch Corporation stipulated to a permanent injunction on any further
illegal ad campaigns similar to the Bud Gear promotion of 1997. ABC sought an
injunction in June, 1997 against the "Buy the Beer, Get the Gear" marketing
campaign, on the grounds that California law prohibits giving anything free as
an inducement to drink more alcohol, and these promotions are considered
illegal. Under the stipulation, A-B has agreed not to conduct the Bud Gear
promotion or any similar promotion in California.
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MILLER SUED BY AB IN COUNTER-STRIKE
Anheuser-Busch has filed a lawsuit that alleges that one of its competitors,
Miller Brewing Co., is trying to interfere with A-B's wholesaling agreement
with 54 distributors who sell the beer of both breweries. The wholesale
agreement states that each of the distributors that handled both companies'
product must "maximize" sales of A-B in its distribution areas. Miller's
answer was to contact the distributors by mail stating that they must refuse
the pact or Miller would sever their contracts. A spokesperson stated that
Miller had gone to federal court earlier in the month to terminate distribution
agreements with three wholesalers also selling A-B brands. Miller claimed in
its lawsuits that the distributors had broken their agreement with Miller when
they agreed to give preferential treatment to Anheuser-Busch beers.
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BIG ROCK BREWERY ANNOUNCES POSITIVE 1997 3RD QUARTER
Big Rock Brewery Ltd., Calgary, AB announced that its revenues for third
quarter 1997 increased to $6.12 million. Net income was $108,195. Year-to-date
revenue, for period ending December 31, 1997, showed revenue of $20,004,422 --
an increase of 5% over same period 1996.
http://www.bigrockbeer.com
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FREDERICK BREWING RESPONDS TO SHAREHOLDER QUESTIONS
Responding to inquiries from shareholders about recent decline in stock prices,
Frederick Brewing Co. CEO Kevin Brannan states that the decline was the result
of short selling and discounted conversions of preferred shares to common
stock, in a March 9 release from the brewery. Brannan stated, "When all these
shares are absorbed by the market, the artificial downward pressure should
ease and we would hope the share price will become more accurately reflective
of the company's value." The company went from little or no cash to net assets
in excess of $6 million in 1997. Its Hempen Ale product line has been hugely
successful, and Frederick recently acquired two local competitors, Brimstone
and Wild Goose.
http://www.fredbrew.com
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GORDON BIERSCH CLOSES ONE; PLANS TO OPEN MORE
Gordon Biersch has sold their Brewery Restaurant operation in Sunset Station
Casino just outside Las Vegas to Station Casinos. The move is designed to
reposition the operation to locals in the south Las Vegas area which differed
from the Gordon Biersch concept. The new facility, called Sunset Station, will
feature Gordon Biersch beer brewed off site and live music. Plans for Sunset
Station include lowering beer and food prices to better appeal to the locals.
Corporate headquarters will move to Las Vegas by summer. Brewery restaurants
are slated to open in Tempe, AZ in May, at the Las Vegas Airport expansion in
June, in San Diego by September and in Seattle's trendy new Pacific Place by
November.
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CRIPPLED CASINO OFFERED TO HIGHEST BIDDER
A minimum of $395,000 will buy a casino in Cripple Creek, CO. The Old Chicago
Casino is one of three casinos that will be auctioned on April 7, 1998
beginning at 7 p.m. at the Doubletree World Arena, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain
Blvd. in Colorado Springs, according to the Rocky Mountain News. The three
casinos sit next to each other near the entrance to the town, and can be
bought individually, as a pair and a single, or all together. The historic
buildings that house them could eventually form a single large casino.
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OZZIE PUBS OPEN IN EUROPE
Scottish and Newcastle Plc announced its intention to open its first managed
pub overseas. The establishment, Cafe Oz, will be an Australian-theme pub, and
will open in Hamburg, Germany. Australian beer and wine will be sold at Oz.
(Scottish & Newcastle brews Foster's under license in the U.K.) S&N has plans
to open five more Oz bars in Europe in 1998, possibly in Italy, Sweden, Spain
and Switzerland.
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IRISH MAN DENIED DAMAGES AFTER BARSTOOL FALL
A Northern Irishman filed suit for one million in damages as a result of
falling off a bar stool. William Joy has been paralyzed from the waist down
after falling in the Copper Room Bar in Cookstown, Northern Ireland. He tried
to sue for damages in Belfast's High Court, but the judge ruled that the bar
stool had been stable and that Joy's condition -- after consuming 13 vodkas
and four pints of beer -- had been the contributing factor. Joy had fallen off
the stool, broken his spine, and become paralyzed from the waist down.
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RUB-A-DUB BRAU
The Kloster Brewery in Neuzelle near Berlin is planning to sell three-quart
bottles of dark beer concentrate for bathing. Four bottles of the beer, mixed
with water, will fill the average 32-gallon bath tub. The difference between
this beer concentrate and "drinking beer" is that the yeast, which would
normally be filtered out, is left in. Helmut Fritsche, the owner of the
brewery, states that the beer is soothing to the skin and is helpful in
treating eczema.
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FOLLOW THE ALE TRAIL IN ONTARIO
Six craft brewers in Southern Ontario province have launched an Ale Trail to
showcase their brews. From April through October, 1998, the breweries will host
monthly open houses on Sundays, when visitors can sample brews, meet the
brewmasters and tour the breweries. Breweries participating include Brick
Brewing Co. Ltd., F & M Brewery, Gold Crown Brewery, Old Mill Brewery, Sleeman
Brewing & Malting and Wellington County Brewery.
http://realbeer.com/canada/
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BREWERS WIN SCHOLARSHIPS
Two brewers have been awarded scholarships in the American Brewers Guild's 1998
Diploma Programs. Richard Amacher, assistant brewer at Great Basin Brewing Co.,
Sparks, NV, and Larry Chase, head brewer at 4th Street Brewing Co. in Sioux
City, IA, were chosen from over 20 applicants. The scholarships are granted
annually to working brewers in the craft brewing industry for the Guild's
"Intensive Brewing Science and Engineering Course."
http://www.abgbrew.com
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LONG DRY SPELL ENDS IN MISSISSIPPI
On March 10, 1998, Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice signed into law SB 2826
that legalized the operation of brewpubs in the state, effective July 1, 1998.
State Senators John Horhn (D-20) and Bob Dearing (D-37) have sponsored the
"brewpub bill" for five years. It was championed in the House by
Representatives Charlie Williams, Alice Clark and Jim Simpson. After the bill
failed in the House on March 4, a 24-hour grass roots campaign of House members
brought about another vote on March 5, when it passed by a 3-vote margin. The
new legislation effectively ends 90 years of prohibition of craft brewed beer
within the state.
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IBS REPORTS BREWERY OPENINGS OUTNUMBER CLOSING 4 TO 1
The Institute for Brewing Studies released a statement on March 5 stating that
craft beer sales increased by three to five percent in 1997, and that openings
outnumbered closings. The following is a list of craft-brewing companies whose
increase in volume of beer sold during 1997 was greater than 10,000 barrels (or
150,000 cases) in order of total volume increase:
| COMPANY | VOLUME | % INCREASE |
| Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico, CA. | +38,000 bbl. | 13% |
| New Belgium Brewing Co., Fort Collins, CO. | +25,200 bbl. | 46% |
| Alaskan Brewing & Bottling Co., Juneau, AK. | +18,200 bbl. | 56% |
| Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR. | +17,400 bbl. | 36% |
| Gordon Biersch Brewing Co., San Jose, CA. | +15,400 bbl. |
74% |
| Goose Island Beer Co., Chicago, IL. | +12,800 bbl. | 52% |
| Yakima Brewing/Grant's Ales, Yakima, WA. | +11,600 bbl. |
108% |
| Breckenridge Brewery, Denver, CO. | +11,100 bbl. | 53% |
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HARD ROCK CAFE JUMPS ON BANDWAGON
Hard Rock Cafe announces it will offer its own beer brands to its restaurant customers in March and to retailers in April, according to a company bulletin.
The beers, Hard Gauge and Light Gauge, will feature specially designed caps
that will include rock n' roll symbols, the names of some Hard Rock Cafes
around the world and the dates they opened.
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MONTANA STATE BREWERS ASSOCIATION PUSHES NEW LAW
The newly formed Montana State Brewers Association is attempting to work
together with the Montana Tavern Association and the Montana Beer and Wine
Wholesalers Association to create legislation that would not be detrimental to
the interests of the members of either organization. The bill, would allow
breweries to bypass wholesalers and the current retail licensing system to sell
beer for consumption at the brewery "on-premise" without a beer and wine
license. It is being opposed by the Montana Tavern Association and the Montana
Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.
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PETE'S ROLLS OUT NEW LOOK; EXTRA SPECIAL BREW
Master brewer Pat Couteaux, V.P. of Brewing, has designed a new beer called ESP
(Extra Special Pub) which is an all-malt European-style Export lager. This new
product and a re-launch of the flagship Pete's Wicked Ale will be marketed
through extensive outdoor advertising, Other Pete's beers include the Honey
Wheat, Strawberry Blonde, Pete's Signature Pilsner (featuring Saaz hops) and
the Springfest.
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FRENCH LAUNCH SEASONAL ALE TO BOOST BEER INDUSTRY
France's President Jacques Chirac was present at the public unveiling of "March
beer," according to a thread on the internet from a Reuters dispatch. Nine
years ago, France revived a 600-year-old ritual by releasing a new vintage of
seasonal ale every March. The French brewers association strictly control the
style of the March beer. It must be a light copper-colored ale with less than a
5.5 percent alcohol content. The beer is now available on draught -- only in
France.
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BERT GRANT OFFERS "HOMEBREW SWEEPSTAKES"
Yakima Brewing & Malting Company, producers of Bert Grant's Real Ales, is
running a consumer "Homebrew Sweepstakes" from March 1 through August 31, 1998.
The company's "Brew a Batch with Bert" contest offers 50 annual memberships in
the American Homebrewers Association, 25 deluxe homebrewing kits and the Grand
Prize, the "ultimate homebrewing kit," worth more than $1,000. The Grand Prize
will also include a personal visit from Bert Grant, who will help the winner
brew. Entry forms for the sweepstakes will be available in all states where
Grant's Ales are available.
http://www.grants.com
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MILK STOUT FIRST BREW OF COLLABORATOR PROJECT
The first beer has been brewed for the Collaborator Project developed by the
Oregon Brew Crew and Widmer Brothers Brewing. The Project was created to
introduce new, unusual and under-represented beer styles. The beers are
designed by the OBC, brewed by Widmer and distributed by Maletis Beverages.
Three local charities will receive contributions from Widmer from sales of the
beer, and a brewing scholarship, funded by OBC, is to be established at Oregon
State University's Fermentation Science Program. The first beer in the series
is a Scottish-style Milk Stout, to be released by the end of this month. The
next beer in the series, an English Brown Ale, will be available in late April.
The Oregon Brew Crew is Oregon's largest homebrew club. It organizes and
provides volunteer assistance for the annual Oregon Brewers Festival, to be
held this year July 24-26 at the Waterfront Park in Portland, OR.
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GUEST EDITORIAL: NATIONAL .08 BAC IS BAD LAW AND BAD SCIENCE
(Editorial from Tom Dalldorf, The Celebrator Beer News)
The President of the United States recently endorsed federal legislation that
would criminalize anyone found driving with a .08 BAC and withhold federal
highway funds to states that did not comply with the new BAC level. On hand at
his press conference was a young mother whose daughter had recently been killed
by a driver with a .08 BAC. Her tears were both tragic and compelling. We later
learned that the driver was in his early 20s and that the accident occurred at
around 8:30 in the morning. There was no mention of the extraordinarily high
accident rate for people in his age group, why he was drinking so early or
whether the .08 ABC was a contributory factor to the fatal accident. This
incident became such a huge "media event" that these questions, as impolite as
they may be, deserve further inquiry. Science gives us precise, measurable and
reproducible data we can use to formulate policy. The political arena, however,
rarely uses the results of scientific inquiry to guide their deliberations.
Rather, such data are used to substantiate preconceived beliefs. In this case,
we know that drunk driving is bad and needs to be eliminated from our highways.
Our problem is, at what point do social drinkers become impaired to the point
of being "drunk drivers." Where's the data? Does lowering permissible blood
alcohol concentrations (BAC) reduce accidents caused by drunk drivers?
Verifiable data remain ambiguous partly because the data are skewed by the term
"alcohol related" which has nothing to do with drinking and driving. We do know
that the average BAC for a driver in a fatal accident is .17. Lowering the BAC
to .08 seems to have the same logic as lowering the speed limit to 55 mph to
prevent accidents. More arrests, more disrespect for the law, and the problem
(speeding, drunk driving) remains unresolved. Some countries have zero
tolerance laws (again, flying in the face of science which shows that the body
produces .01 to .03 BAC naturally) and a few have the death penalty for drunk
driving. France's tough .05 BAC law failed to save a young Princess' life. Who
will benefit from .08?
The 30 states that capitulate to the federal blackmail and lower their laws to
.08 BAC will get their highway funds, the President will have a popular issue
to diffuse attention from his scandal ridden administration, and vested
interest (lawyers, tow truck operators, bail bondsmen, etc.) will have newfound
wealth from our criminalizing a new strata of society. Will fewer people die at
the hands of drunk drivers? Since the vast majority are already covered by
existing law, it is doubtful. The U.S. Senate has already endorsed the new
law. (To oppose it, given how politically charged this issue is, could be
viewed as an endorsement of drunk driving.) The House of Representatives will
consider it next. Your voice needs to be heard. We changed the absurd 55 mph
law. It's time we went back at least to .10 BAC for criminalization - at least
until such time as scientifically verifiable evidence compels us to do
otherwise.
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