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The Fight Against Drunk Driving Continues

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  • Description

    Dr. Barron Lerner discusses his new book, “One for the Road”.

  • Duration 7:27
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Announcement tell me about one to Laura and I wouldn't think I said earlier.

And so person can get a book out of drunk driver and Richard and drunk driving to topic that I got interested in because it seemed to me that it was so prevalent in this country and it was such a terrible.

Potentially terrible crime where people die in this happens.

101000 or more times a year.

And it didn't seem to be causing the outrage that it -- and when I went back and did the research I found that actually we're doing much better job now but earlier in the century.

It was commonplace for people who drove drunk and actually kill people just to be sent on the way with a slap on the wrist so we've been very lax.

In this country for example compared to other countries in trying to control drunk driving.

You know and and Mexico -- on part of the year.

This is huge problem but the -- -- -- drizzle on the bottom sort of as a -- front all summer long.

-- roadblocks and stuff and and and and I'm -- fairly severe penalties national.

Yet there which is much much better now in some states are better than others.

Some states actually don't even use roadblocks amazingly even though they've been shown to be effective but it's good that New Mexico's being fourth you know -- proactive in that regard -- on my -- places of the drive him liquor store which.

-- drive in and drive president it's crazy so what did you find out some of the things.

Well I'm one of the most interesting things was that for years and years the blood alcohol level that was legal in this country was point 15.

Which means you could have up to six drinks on an empty stomach and be pretty much plastered.

Get stopped.

And managed to get off and not convicted for drunk driving it was incredible.

Tolerance for this crime that went on for years and -- wonder.

I think it had a lot to do with a bunch of things one was prohibition and we sort of reacted against prohibition by saying look.

We were too aggressive in trying to control alcohol and now it's time to push the pendulum back the other way.

And frankly -- alcohol industry in the restaurant industry have never wanted.

People to be too aggressive in treating -- is that if they were gonna lose business so they've been.

Pushed responsible drinking but not much more than that.

The legal limit of the lower and it has been lowered and and now in all states -- point oh wait -- in other countries it's quite low at quite a bit lower.

And point -- there's one.

We know weight is about it depends on your size and how much you've beaten but you know it's about three or four drinks.

Arm which is a lot and sit in order in fact what was working on the book I did a little experiment night my wife watched me.

And I drank and an empty stomach and should try to find out how much it would take for me to drink and what I would be like to get 2.0 -- It took me about four or five drinks and and well before I got to point away I was in no condition to drive but legally in this country -- could have -- a drinker by.

It's also drinker I'm a social trigger amount instead then my doctor and I in my glass of red wine a night to get my caution Gallup -- -- -- -- -- immune from I'll call I don't know -- so.

While.

What can be done -- -- -- on well I think we have to enforce the laws more tightly if if if states like New Mexico are doing a particularly good job we should use those states.

And other countries by the way as example so we should use roadblocks.

Morse says which we really call sobriety checkpoints where police can stop drivers it in check.

Because they're very good deterrent and they stopped people from driving drunk.

We should use ignition -- -- more aware if you've been convicted of the DWY.

You have to blow into like a breathalyzer device in your car before you can -- it.

And that's been shown to reduce re arrests for drunk driving by two thirds of this -- effective things out there but as a country we still too reluctant were still.

Illiterate little to libertarian to do those things but to me it doesn't make any sense.

Argument not a barrel -- all what's called one for the road.

-- rather -- sought a collection experience around as some Hamilton.

-- I I wanted after I got that from the ranch to write about what it was like there and and my wife and I had an an amazing time I mean it's it's an inspiring place.

You know I went down and and none of the kids there and I'm what did you expect when.

Well I don't know before it got -- I didn't I wasn't quite sure what to expect I mean I knew I'd sort of be keep and I in the kids and making sure that that you know that in their health who was -- But.

You I didn't I'm not a pediatrician so I don't hang out with kids with cancer very much I didn't quite know.

And the kids were great and they were.

Not much of a challenge from a medical perspective and it was inspiring to see them.

Work all day and understand what they were there four and start to think of themselves much much more as normal kids.

It's a remarkable transformation.

That many of American.

Even after all -- urged -- and monitor -- -- -- I'm often surprised kids.

Just show up and -- should move some of the more the more remarkable -- attempted to Imus -- and kids who home.

Show up in don't have the prognosis is not they are well aware of -- that have as much currencies.

Everybody and apply them facto.

Girl said -- my wife this summer.

Sixty years old -- Brain -- -- and -- and to restore our Summers.

Wants and one.

Maybe environmental exposure and cellphones it may be a more holes soulful moment here.

Who couldn't pay metre -- but she hard to my wife self segment of molecules -- moment.

Along -- now well I don't print effort to actually act out but it's.

All punches -- If I don't I cannot come back on.

Incredible love the kids they're smart and they know what they're up against.

But it's cool that they want to spend their time.

Doing things like going to the range under find anybody Adam's abduction there are learners up and Columbia.

University hospital -- me which meant to medical center now.

Or -- -- cast says red is where He is yes no the great doctor.

All.

-- what -- reception for people who.

Who wanna talk about drug drug coated in our.

Sound like a subject of wouldn't -- -- not a sexy subject for float.

Yeah it's it different for different people the people who obviously really wanna talk about this or people who some time in their lives have.

Directly or indirectly experience the -- met -- a lot of people I've been working on this who either know someone who died.

Or know someone who knows someone and they east it stays within their entire lives and they just can't believe that someone has been killed or injured severely due to this.

Other other times it can be a little difficult I mean if you're at a party and you know -- go to parties and I was at one and I was making the joke of how about a breathalyzer at the door before you leave like they do in Australia for example -- about doing that.

May be everybody does money -- -- Oswald foreign thank you nice to see you again same slip out of the -- for me I will do that a doctor Barron Lerner one total Rosa Bart.

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