Regarding the CMA's recent position on lowering the legal blood-alcohol level,1 in my practice as a forensic pathologist I see numerous deaths in vehicle accidents in which alcohol is involved. Almost invariably, the offenders are men, and the blood-alcohol level is over 0.2%. The record is 0.36% — a man who died at the wheel in a very minor accident from acute alcohol poisoning. My impression is that these accidents involve a hard core of consistent heavy drinkers who are often recurrent offenders. I cannot remember a death in which the blood alcohol was less than 0.2%.
Although this is anecdotal evidence based on limited experience, I do not see drivers who cause non-fatal ac-cidents and injuries at lower blood- alcohol levels. Setting a level lower than 0.08% might have the effect of criminalizing a segment of drivers who are unimportant in accident causation. Indeed, we already have a mandatory 24-hour licence suspension for any driver who blows between 0.04% and 0.08%. What change in accident rates would a change in the laws produce?
There are unpleasant analogies here with gun-control legislation, which may ultimately criminalize me and my hunting partners. In 50 years of forensic autopsies, I have seen many deaths from gunshots, not one of which would likely have been prevented by our current legislation. I fear the CMA's position may have the same effect from a “political correctness” standpoint; opposition would take a lot of courage.
What is the scientific evidence on which the CMA recommendations are based? In countries with a 0.5% legal limit, are accident and death rates from vehicle accidents significantly lower than those caused by Canadian drivers with blood-alcohol levels between 0.5% and 0.8%? Have comparisons been adjusted for regional differences in Canada — for example, between northern and southern Canada? My memories of driving in Austria, Germany and France are considerably more scary than those in Canada — general driving behaviour and the absence of speed limits appeared to be significant factors.
If you can produce scientific evidence, I am prepared to change my mind, but baseless pontificating should not be the CMA image.
H.E. Emson Physician Saskatoon, Sask.
Reference
- 1.↵