The state of Utah wants to ban people from purchasing alcohol at liquor stores if they drove after having one or two drinks.
Two years ago, the state of Utah adopted a .05% BAC level for DWI’s, meaning that police can charge a driver with drunk driving after consuming one or two alcoholic beverages.
"To give you an idea of the difference in consumption, for a man weighing 180 pounds, it takes about four drinks to reach a BAC of 0.08 percent, according to the American Beverage Institute. But to reach .05, it’s about half as many drinks and can be even fewer for women."Fox News said, "The proposal would mean that a 150-pound man could get a DUI after two beers, while a 120-pound woman could get one after a single drink."
In 2018, I wrote about the dangers of two drink driving laws and how Homeland Security and the National Transportation Safety Board were working together to lower the BAC level to .05% across the country.
A lot has happened since I first wrote that article; the number of states that want to criminalize people for having one or two drinks now stands at a horrifying 16.
- Hawaii,
- California,
- Washington,
- Texas,
- Indiana,
- Oregon,
- Wisconsin,
- Nebraska,
- Michigan,
- Minnesota,
- Delaware,
- New York,
- New Jersey,
- Maryland,
- Vermont,
- New Hampshire
The Nanny State becomes a reality
It is bad enough that 16 states are considering arresting people who drive after having two drinks but what Utah is considering would make the Chinese government blush with jealousy.
If Utah adopts Rep. Steve Eliason’s "Alcohol-Restricted Individual Program" bill, it would turn the Nanny State into a reality by allowing the government to monitor and restrict a person’s right to purchase alcohol.
credit: CBS DC
The Salt Lake Tribune revealed that the Alcohol-Restricted Individual Program gives the state the power to ban people from purchasing alcohol at liquor stores. Why? Because Utah has total control over any and all alcoholic purchases.
"The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would create the program, which would prohibit a state store from selling, offering for sale, or furnishing liquor to an individual enrolled in the program."Utah’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would force state-run liquor stores to scan a person’s driver’s license to confirm their participation in the program and approve or deny their sale accordingly.
A person who has been convicted of having a a .05% BAC, will be given a government approved "assessment" and possibly forced into a substance abuse treatment program.
The bill also requires a court to force a person convicted of two-drink driving (DWI) to complete a driving under the influence program after being jailed for at least two days or forced to work for the state for at least two days.
"As part of any sentence for a first conviction the court shall: require the individual to to participate in a screening, assessment, or an educational series, enroll in the Alcohol-Restricted Individual Program, or obtain substance abuse treatment or do a combination of those things. As part of any sentence for a first conviction the court shall impose a jail sentence of not less than 48 consecutive hours; or require the individual to work in a compensatory-service work program for not less than 48 hours, impose a fine of not less than $800 and order the individual to pay the towing and storage fees."Criminalizing people for driving after consuming two drinks is government overreach on a scale not seen since the Prohibition era. Words escape me when it comes to describing how Utah plans on throwing people in jail or forcing them to work for the state. The freedoms our grandparents fought for are fast becoming a distant memory.
But if none of that scares you, then maybe this Fox 13 Now article will.
"Under Utah’s state-controlled liquor program, all alcoholic products (except beer) are sold through DABC stores. Even bars and restaurants must purchase their liquor through the state. The bill appears to apply only to state-run liquor stores."The scary thing is, the state could use the wording in this bill to force bars and restaurants to ban people from purchasing alcohol.
What is most disturbing about this story, is the fact that 16 states are considering adopting Homeland Security’s two-drink driving or .05,% BAC and all that it entails.
