Few diners would risk eating out if arrest, fingerprinting and posting bail were likely to be part of the experience. But that would have been the likely after-dinner "entertainment" if anti-alcohol activists had managed to push through Congress their bill to create a national DWI arrest threshold of .08 percent blood-alcohol concentration (BAC).
Collectively, 33 states have rejected lowering their arrest levels hundreds of times. They know that the ".08" law would place an unwarranted burden on responsible social drinkers - especially diners. Under such a law, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, a 120-pound woman could be arrested if she drove after drinking two six-ounce glasses of wine over two hours.
Frightening diners away from indulging in choices that have always been considered normal is all part of the effort to take adult choice out of the restaurant experience. It's hard to imagine anything that would steer diners away from having alcohol more than the threat of going to jail. Those still inclined to have a drink would likely do it while eating in the safety (and solitude) of their homes.
