Call To Lower Blood Alcohol Consumption Limit

Healthy Christchurch Champions Support Call To Lower Blood Alcohol Consumption Limit

The Champions of Healthy Christchurch are supporting a call to reduce the Blood Alcohol Concentration limit. The response comes in light of the release last month of the Ministry of Transport’s Safer Journey’s strategy, to improve safety on New Zealand roads. Included in the strategy is a proposition to lower the blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) in adults from 80 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (0.08) to 50mg per 100ml (0.05).

By lowering this limit, we are likely to see a reduction in the number of people misusing alcohol, says Evon Currie, Chair of Healthy Christchurch Steering Group. “There’s overwhelming evidence that demonstrates that a reduction in this level would save lives and many serious injuries. By lowering our level to 0.05, it would bring New Zealand in line with the standard definition of intoxication, currently adopted throughout Europe, Argentina, Australia, South Africa and the majority of Canada.”

Christchurch Mayor and Healthy Christchurch Champion Bob Parker says that lowering the BAC limit sends a message about the harms associated with excessive drinking. “The bottom line is that if you drink alcohol and then drive, you are increasing your chances of being involved in a road incident. By supporting the call to reduce this level to 0.05, we are acknowledging that the current level at which you can legally drink and drive is too high.

“Alcohol-related road trauma has a knock-on effect throughout the community. It’s not only the driver who suffers the consequences of their drink driving but also passengers, friends, families and loved ones of those involved. We need to send the message that it is not tolerable to consume the quantity of alcohol currently regarded as acceptable, before getting behind the wheel,” Mr Parker says.

A Ministry of Transport report in 2009 suggested lowering the level would help to save a minimum number of 12 lives a year, and a more optimistic figure of 70. It would also lead to 250 to 350 fewer injured people every year. Alister James, Chair of Canterbury District Health Board and Healthy Christchurch Champion, also endorses the initiative.

“Research indicates that there have been significant decreases in the number of fatal and serious collisions in overseas countries with a BAC limit of 50mg/100mL, compared to the number of these types of collisions occurring when the BAC limit was 80mg/100mL as it is currently in New Zealand.

“The World Health Organisation recommends a limit of BAC 0.05 or lower, as key to reduced alcohol-related deaths and injuries,” says Mr James. “Essentially, our current BAC level of 0.08 means drivers are legally allowed to become significantly impaired before driving. We need to make this change so that we are in line with other countries around the world, in a bid to reduce the number of alcohol-related trauma on our roads.”

Healthy Christchurch Champions, Warren Lindberg, Ministry of Health, Dr Martin Seers, Pegasus Health Board Managing Director, Professor Peter Joyce Dean of the University of Otago, Christchurch and Mark Solomon ,Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Kaiwhakahaere, also support the call to reduce the Blood Alcohol Consumption limit to 0.05.

ENDS

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