A 76 year old member of the Suffolk Substance Abuse and Youth Council is the latest example of our nation's failed efforts to prevent drunk driving. Marion Matthews was arrested on Christmas day and charged with DUI and refusing to take a breath or blood test.
This latest example of a government official being charged with drunk driving highlights the reasons why this nation's war on drunk driving will never work. Ms. Matthews is obviously no supporter of substance abuse. Why then would she be the subject of a DUI charge? The answer is simple.
Alcohol is a drug. It is deadly, addictive, and when consumed in the manner intended causes the user to lose his or her judgment. Not only that, it is sold to the user by the state! The official governmental seal of approval is put on alcohol - literally. Unlike a driver's license, there is no education required to drink. One doesn't need a license, any training, or even so much as a warning label on the product that the state sells us knowing that it causes intoxication.
Does this mean we should outlaw this toxic and habit-forming substance of abuse? Of course not. This nation tried prohibition and found that it only led to the rise of Al Capone and his ilk of drug dealers. Ironically, the world still falls for this scam in the form of the ongoing failure known as the war on drugs. But we can still take action to stop drunk driving.
The solution is technology known as an ignition interlock. It's simple - if you are drunk, you can't start the car! Why isn't this technology attached to every new car? The answer is simple: because the people who profit from drunk driving can't have that. The alcohol and restaurant industries profit from a system that allows and encourages people to have a few drinks with dinner and drive home. The insurance companies bring in more premiums to cover the cost of damages caused by DWI. Even MADD isn't really looking to prevent drunk driving (and give up their big fat salaries) - just to punish drunk drivers.
Maybe Marion Matthews is innocent of the charges. But regardless, the laws that are intended to prevent drunk driving have failed, and continue to fail to prevent the dangers of impaired motorists. When we sell people a drug that causes them lose judgment, we have to expect that they will get behind the wheel - to pretend that any other result will occur is dishonest and disgraceful.
This latest example of a government official being charged with drunk driving highlights the reasons why this nation's war on drunk driving will never work. Ms. Matthews is obviously no supporter of substance abuse. Why then would she be the subject of a DUI charge? The answer is simple.
Alcohol is a drug. It is deadly, addictive, and when consumed in the manner intended causes the user to lose his or her judgment. Not only that, it is sold to the user by the state! The official governmental seal of approval is put on alcohol - literally. Unlike a driver's license, there is no education required to drink. One doesn't need a license, any training, or even so much as a warning label on the product that the state sells us knowing that it causes intoxication.
Does this mean we should outlaw this toxic and habit-forming substance of abuse? Of course not. This nation tried prohibition and found that it only led to the rise of Al Capone and his ilk of drug dealers. Ironically, the world still falls for this scam in the form of the ongoing failure known as the war on drugs. But we can still take action to stop drunk driving.
The solution is technology known as an ignition interlock. It's simple - if you are drunk, you can't start the car! Why isn't this technology attached to every new car? The answer is simple: because the people who profit from drunk driving can't have that. The alcohol and restaurant industries profit from a system that allows and encourages people to have a few drinks with dinner and drive home. The insurance companies bring in more premiums to cover the cost of damages caused by DWI. Even MADD isn't really looking to prevent drunk driving (and give up their big fat salaries) - just to punish drunk drivers.
Maybe Marion Matthews is innocent of the charges. But regardless, the laws that are intended to prevent drunk driving have failed, and continue to fail to prevent the dangers of impaired motorists. When we sell people a drug that causes them lose judgment, we have to expect that they will get behind the wheel - to pretend that any other result will occur is dishonest and disgraceful.
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