Editorial: Laws alone will not solve alcohol abuse
Editorial: Laws alone will not solve alcohol abuse
Curbing repeat drunken driving by court mandated ignition interlock systems is a worthwhile first step. But it is not the total answer to Wisconsin's drunken driving problem.
Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, is to be commended for his part in the legislative initiative. Kaufert co-sponsored legislation in the state Assembly that would require the devices for drunken drivers who have two or more convictions, and first-offense drunken drivers who have a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or more, which is nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08. The ignition interlock is an onboard breathalyzer that will not permit the automobile to be started if the driver has alcohol in their system that exceeds the pre-determined limit.
Kaufert is one of 25 legislators from both parties signed on to sponsor the bill, giving strong bipartisan support in the Assembly.
Assuming the bill become law, the question becomes "What next?" in the state's campaign to reduce deaths, injuries and property damage caused by drunken driving in Wisconsin.
There are a number of proposals circulating the legislature that offer different approaches. Everything from mandating server sobriety to lowering the legal limit to criminalizing first time offenses are on the table. But the legislature should put a priority on scrutinizing the "all you can drink" promotions that are particularly popular in Wisconsin's university communities, including Oshkosh.
Law enforcement officials know only too well that those promotions encourage binge drinking and subsequent problems. Further, those types of specials perpetuate the drinking culture that has become pervasive in Wisconsin, whether it be at the tavern, church picnics or fund raising events. No one is proposing prohibition but "all you can drink" specials often lead to irresponsible consumption of alcohol.
But legislative solutions alone mask Wisconsin's real problem. The problem is not drunken driving. The problem is a state-wide culture that tolerates alcohol abuse and in some cases condones it. And legislation will not change human behavior. For example, the problem drinker or alcoholic is unlikely to be deterred by the ignition interlock system. It is too easy to borrow a car from a friend or relative because those folks are usually the enablers that prop up the problem drinkers to begin with. That does not mean the law should not be passed but merely an acknowledgment that no law provides a perfect solution.
We have made the argument before and will continue to make it. The first step is admitting we have a problem. Then the solution to chronic alcohol abuse rests with a fundamental societal change in the state's culture of drinking. That responsibility rests with families, schools, churches and advocacy groups to break the grip that alcohol abuse has on the state.