Last updated on August 5th, 2022 at 04:56 am

According to this article, the American Beverage Institute took out a full-page advertisement in USA Today to oppose the concept of putting an interlock device in every vehicle in America.  The American Beverage Institute is a restaurant trade association that, according to its website, is:

“dedicated to protecting the on-premise dining experience — which often includes the responsible consumption of adult beverages. We are the only organization in the nation that unites the wine, beer, and spirits producers with distributors and on-premise retailers in this important mission.“

In other words, its mission is to protect the important right of people to drink in their restaurants and then drive home.    To drive this point home, this is the advertisement they chose to purchase:

The theme of the advertisement is that the only people who should be subject to interlock devices are serial drunk drivers (as represented by Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan).   The message of the ad is even more ridiculous:

Ignition Interlocks, or in-car breathalyzers, are a great tool for  getting hard-core drunk drivers off our roads.  However, activists no want to put one in every car in America.  That means the end of moderate and responsible drinking prior to driving… No more champagne toasts at weddings, no more wine at dinner, no more beers at a ballgame.

Let’s Stop Drinking and Driving Without Eliminating Our Traditions

Think about that for a moment: according to this ad, drinking and driving is a “tradition” worth preserving.  Not to mention that the argument is disingenuous, as a glass of wine with dinner or a champagne toast would not trigger the ignition interlock.

The interlock only triggers when the driver’s breath indicates blood alcohol over the legal limit.  This group knows its interests are best served by people being allowed to drink at their establishments.   The fact that they are trying to paint their position as being protective of “traditions” is ludicrous.

Maybe these folks need to be working with the Anti-Poleez people.  They seem to have the same goals:  making the streets safe for drunk driving.

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