What do people think of reducing the blood alcohol limit in Oregon from 0.08% to 0.05%? Currently in Oregon 0.05% BAC DUI cases are prosecuted under the “impaired” prong of the DUI law. This means prosecutors must prove that the defendant was impaired at the time of driving, in other words that their physical and mental abilities were adversely affected to a noticeable or perceptible degree due to the alcohol consumed. Under this proposal, the prosecution would only need to prove that the BAC is 0.05% or greater for a DUI conviction, regardless of whether the person demonstrated any signs of impairment. The report below has prompted states to re-evaluate whether the BAC limit should be reduced to 0.05% and Utah has already lowered it. In Utah the food and beverage industry posted a billboard saying “Utah: come for vacation, leave on probation.”

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=24951