No Speakeasy about drink-driving

Lower the present legal limit for alcohol

Frank Portelli 6 July 2010, 12:00am

2 min read

During the era of prohibition in America, many barmen had become astute and developed a knack of quickly recognizing those individuals who sought to buy alcohol illegally. The bartender would rush to the customer and tell him to speak in a low voice – “speakeasy” was the term.

These bars soon became known as “Speakeasy’ in American jargon.

In Malta, prohibition applies to individuals under the age of 17 years. However statistics show that only one (underage) person a week is being caught drinking alcohol in a public place. To be exact, a total of 25 persons under the age of 17 were caught in the first five months of 2010.

As to those selling alcohol only one person every two months has been arraigned in court for selling alcohol to underage persons during the last six years. Admittedly last year nine persons were arraigned, it’s quite possible that we are an extremely law-abiding nation or perhaps it’s a case of “speakeasy”.

What you don’t know can hurt you. A recent Eurobarometer study showed that only 1% of the Maltese knew what the legally-permissible level of alcohol in the blood is. I would like to think that they would be readers of this blog! Blood alcohol levels are measured in mgs per 100 mls. The legal limit for blood alcohol level in Malta is 80 mg/100ml of blood (which may be reported as 80%). Alcohol in the breath is measured by a breathalyzer and is reported in micro-grams (µgms) – a micro gram being one millionth of a gram. The legal limit of alcohol in the breath is 35µmg. The conversion ratio from blood-levels to breath-levels is to divide by 2,100 – because 1ml of blood contains the same amount of alcohol that is found in 2,100 cc /cubic centimetres of lung air.

Strictly speaking, an 80 mg blood level converts to 38µgm in the breath – and the law has chosen to round off the number to 35µgm. Driving with a blood alcohol of just above 80mg increases the risk of having an accident ten-fold. With binge drinking on the rise are you surprised at the number of accidents on our roads?

I personally consider the present legal limit for alcohol as being far too high. I propose that legislation should be passed to lower the limit to 50mg. So I say we must legislate and lower the blood alcohol limit to 50mg and lower the breathalyzer limit accordingly to 23µgm. I have seen enough people dying or maimed on our roads.

Just do it – legislate now.

More from Frank Portelli

Angelo Cassar •

Manuel I agree 100% with your statement. If you intend to drive - do not drink. In my explanation I was required to give some practical indication of alcohol equivalents - in no way do I advise drinking and driving. I appreciate your hard work in this field Prosit Frank

Chris Tanthi •

Although the law does allow a BAC of 80mgs/dec of blood, even snall amounts of alcohol impair our ability to drive inthat they affect vision (especially peripheral vision), reflexes and judgment. The only safe level of alcohol, in the contect of driving, is 0mgs. Drinking and driving are a deathly cocktail.

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Thanks for the explanation.

Angelo Cassar •

Thank you Francis In Malta we need to take drink driving more seriously. I am always disturbed when attending a wedding or some other function to see people drink and on leaving the function promptly get into their car regards Frank Portelli

Angelo Cassar •

Martin There are too many variables to give a definite reply These include body weight, Gender, rate of drinking, whether drinking on an empty stomach etc. Clearly the effect of the same amount of alcohol will have more effect on a 60 kg woman than it would on a 100kg man --- besides the Women metabolize alcohol at a lower rate. Therefore I can only give a practical indication Best to think in terms of units of alcohol One unit of alcohol will raise your blood alcohol level at least by 0.15% to 0.2%. Alcohol is processed (mainly) in the liver and at a relatively constant rate of around 15 mg per hour -- which is the equivalent of one unit of alcohol per hour. Therefore one unit of alcohol takes at least one hour to be metabolized. In women and men of lesser weight the process is slower Units A glass of wine is one unit – so is ½ a pint of standard beer. (However ½ pint of Strong Beer is equivalent to 2.5 units). I hope this helps. NB remember the additive effects of prescribed drugs such as antihistamines, sedatives, sleeping tablets - needles to say also illicit drugs ! regards Frank Portelli

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whether it is 50mg or 80mg, it is down to the police to carry out enough checks followed by prosecutions for the breathalyser to become a deterrent. In the UK the breathalyser is feared by most of us with the levels as in Malta set at 80mg. The penalty here is very simple automatic driving licence suspension for a year and a minimum £400 fine if this has not been increased. You also have very little chance of being re-insured without a massive hike up in the premiums. All in all, most of us here do seriously think it is a deterrent and we do not have roadblocks here. The police need a 'reason' to stop you in the first place. The point I am making, if there were enough people stopped then it will become a deterrent. My experience in Malta when I attended family weddings, there were very few guests going home in a taxi. For us in the UK, the taxi is a must even after a pint and a half of beer which is about the legal limit for most adults. I do not think that drink driving in Malta is taken seriously enough either by the authorities or the general public. Untill then, the deaths on the road will continue unabated. Francis Borg - Liverpool.

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Will somebody be kind enough to explain in simple terms the amount of beer, wine or other alcohol liquid 80mg/1ooml are equivalent to.

Alfred Galea •

http://www.upei.ca/~stuserv/alcohol/factors.htm The BAC varies from person to person. So 8 beers might give me a .08 BAC but it'll only give you a .06.

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At least citing the clinical units of alchahol permissable in blood you could have translated those figures in more realistic terms, eg, number of beer pints or tots of whiskey. Not all of us went to university and studied what 80 mg/ 100 ml are equivalent to.

Alfred Galea •

Refusing to provide a breath sample is NOT tantamount to guilt BUT it carries the same penalty as an impaired driving charge, if found guilty of course.

Alfred Galea •

Refusing to provide a breath sample is NOT tantamount to guilt BUT it carries the same penalty as an impaired driving charge, if found guilty of course.

Angelo Cassar •

Agreed There should be more testing of drivers for BAC – blood alcohol levels In many countries now refusal to provide a sample is tantamount to guilt in Court Prize still available for correct answer to question “how many breathalyzers are functioning in Malta at the present time ?”

Alfred Galea •

Rosalie, how do you know if a driver is impaired if you don't give him a breath test?? THAT is what I was trying to tell the Doc. There were ten fatalities in Malta so far this year, if the drivers involved were not given a breath test NOBODY can say that they were impaired. If the govt. treats impaired driving like it treats the taking/trafficking of drugs AND have "check points" say in every road leading out of Paceville, it will discourage people from drinking and driving. As it is now, nobody cares.

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Joe-ie Your quote "Statistics DO show that though impaired driving is a major cause of accidents,it is not THE major cause" There you have it.It IS a MAJOR cause. In your very last comment you then say "I'm not saying there are no impaired drivers BUT I don't know for sure and neither do you". But statistics have shown that as a fact. So.........I still say one death due to a drunk driver is one too many.

Alfred Galea •

How can you blame impaired drivers when the drivers involved in accidents are not given a breathalyzer test?? I'm not saying that there are no impaired drivers BUT I don't know for sure and neither do you. As for your "points"....I'd agree with 2 and 3, lowering the B/A level won't help at all.

Angelo Cassar •

South My article is about Malta – where most drivers involved in traffic accidents are not breathalyzed. In countries where there is rigorous testing – your statistics may apply. In Malta, even when we have road fatalities, drivers are still not tested. The purpose of my article was to spur the authorities to 1. Lower the BAC 2. Increase Testing 3. Increase Penalties Another fatality today as I write – no testing. I’m offering a consolation prize– to the first person who answers this question How many breathalyzers ( functioning ) are there in Malta at this moment ?

Alfred Galea •

Frankie, I never assumed that the stats applied to Malta, and they speak for themselves, if 38% are caused by impaired drivers, simple maths conclude that 62% are not. That's not an assumption, that's simple maths. YOU Sir, ass-U-med that those coming out of weddings are impaired even though they're not breathalyzed.....now you can spin it anyway you want but statistics DO show that though impaired driving is a major cause of accidents it is not THE major cause. The majority of accidents are caused by human error, speed and not driving according to the road and weather conditions. A few are caused by mechanical failures. Maybe you can research the ten fatalities that occured in Malta this year and find out how many of them involved impaired/drunk drivers.

Angelo Cassar •

South you assumed that the statistics you quoted applied to Malta You then extrapolated this and stated that since ‘more people are killed in accidents caused by "sober" drivers than by impaired/drunk drivers. So why not ban driving?? I thought this statement caused more harm than good However I agree that if we seriously want to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads we need:- 1. More testing 2. Lower Blood Alcohol Concentrations 3. Punishments commensurate with the crime

Alfred Galea •

[My article refers to the situation in Malta In Malta most drivers involved in car accidents are not breathalyzed] So how do you know that they're impaired/drunk if they're not breatalyzed?? Or are you just assuming?? As for the Sedqa guy, what difference does it make lowering the B/A level if there's not enough random tests?? The only way you can reduce impaired/drunk driving is by having police units stopping cars at certain localities, like the "Army checkpoints" and increasing the fines and suspending licences for longer periods of time.

Alfred Galea •

[My article refers to the situation in Malta In Malta most drivers involved in car accidents are not breathalyzed] So how do you know that they're impaired/drunk if they're not breatalyzed?? Or are you just assuming?? As for the Sedqa guy, what difference does it make lowering the B/A level if there's not enough random tests?? The only way you can reduce impaired/drunk driving is by having police units stopping cars at certain localities, like the "Army checkpoints" and increasing the fines and suspending licences for longer periods of time.

Angelo Cassar •

Manuel Mangani & Sedqa I know that you and Sedqa are doing a good job. I did not mention you & Sedqa in the blog – as I did not wish anyone to think that I was in any way acting on your behalf. I agree with you on lowering the limit to 50mg (blood alcohol concentration ) In Malta the general attitude to alcohol is rather Cavalier Anyone attending a wedding in Malta will see many guests enjoy their drinks – and then simply get into their cars and drive home! Keep up the Good Work Frank Portelli

Chris Tanthi •

Well done, Dr Portelli. Sedqa (for which I work) has been advocating a lower level (not higher than 50mgs/dec) since before the enactment of the law in 1998. The evidence for a lower level is overwhelming. However even more important is the introduction ( and actual implementation) of random testing. Frequent random testingwill almost certainly cut the number of fatal accidents by some 25%. That's between 4 and 6 human lives per year. Incidentally the same Eurobarometer survey you quote shows that Maltese people in favour of stricter measures when it comes to drink driving - so the political class has absolutely no justification in not implementing these changes forthwith. With regard to penalties, the present system is quite adequate, the only changes we deem necessary are an increase in the minimum fine (currently €466) and the introduction of a mandatory educational course for offenders during the period the driving license is suspended

Angelo Cassar •

My article refers to the situation in Malta In Malta most drivers involved in car accidents are not breathalyzed Drivers know this. The article you quote confirms that 38 percent of traffic fatalities involved a driver with a blood alcohol exceeding the limit. These are statistics from the United States of America where many drivers are breathalyzed. These statistics do not apply to Malta because in Malta drivers know that the police are unlikely to breathalyze a driver who is involved in a traffic accident - even if he is the cause of multiple fatalities. This is what we need to change --- now. We need to take this issue deadly seriously I propose 1. Lowering the blood alcohol limit to 50mg 2. Ensuring that the police breathalyze every driver involved in accidents where fatalities or serious bodily injuries are involved Increase penalties for those found guilty of driving with an excess of blood alcohol. 1. Obligatory suspension of licence -- minimum 3 months 2. £5,000 Fine --minimum 3. If found guilty of causing fatalities whilst under the influence of alcohol -- a compulsory sentence of incarceration minimum 3 months. In the UK even failing to provide a blood specimen for analysis is tantamount to guilt. Driver not tested for alcohol http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=99686 Link to the same horrific traffic accident at St Paul’s bay http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091212/local/woman-dies-man-critically-injured-in-st-pauls-bay-accident That's why I said no Speakasy

Alfred Galea •

http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/What-You-Should-Know-About-National-Car-Accident-Statistics/939695 Meaning that the other 62% were caused by circumstances other than "impaired/drunk" drivers.

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Mr.South -- Even in countries where the law is highly enforced,one will still find the odd git who thinks it's macho to drink and drive.What we need is educating the would be" drink drivers" by a reality check --- a visit to hospital to come face to face with their would be victims. If that doen't sober them up, then God help us all.

Angelo Cassar •

Even when Fatal Accidents happen drivers are not tested routinely for alcohol http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=99686 http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20091212/local/woman-dies-man-critically-injured-in-st-pauls-bay-accident

Angelo Cassar •

From Mr South "more people are killed in accidents caused by "sober" drivers than by impaired/drunk drivers." show me where you obtained this because it is not correct Frank Portelli

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Re Drinking/driving I believe there should be ZERO tolerance, the two just don't mix. Walk, get a cab, get a driver, simple solution if you "must" have that drink. Re "why don't we ban driving" comment, if those killed by driving infractions (speeding, dangerous, etc.) then lawfully punishing the driver who caused loss of life would be acceptable method, as is the law now. Banishing driving would be akin to banishing our right to walk outside on a smog filled day due to the fact those with compromised lung issues could collapse and die from asthma. I live in Canada and we suffer the same issues here, only on a larger scale and enforcing the law, though always the optimal way to deal with these issues, doesn't preclude everyone will obey the rules. Remove the alcohol completely from the drivers and no one has to guess if they've passed the limit or not when they pick up those car keys.

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Excellent article and I suggest more checks on the road as alot of people seem to feel free to drink and drive as they are confident that few road checks are being made!

Alfred Galea •

Rosie, more people are killed in accidents caused by "sober" drivers than by impaired/drunk drivers. So why not ban driving?? The problem in Malta is that the law is not enforced properly, so people take chances knowing that it'll be a cold night in hell before they're stopped. If it is enforced it would not stop impaired/drunk driving completely but it'll reduce it considerably. As for lowering the legal B/A level from .08 to .05 will not make a dent.

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Personally I would ban drink completely if one is intending to drive.As we all know,even one measure can have a different effect on different people and an accident due to drink is one too many.The ban would not be popular - but safety is paramount.Maybe people who have lost loved ones due to drink driving should air their feelings best.Life is too precious.