A Weekly Note from Mayor Gary L. Graham
“Traditional Values, Progressive Thinking”
As the Mayor of O’Fallon, one of my job responsibilities is to serve as the Liquor Control Commissioner for our City. I periodically receive publications from the State of Illinois that are designed to assist liquor commissioners throughout the state comply with state laws, especially when new laws are enacted.
I recently received a publication written by Chicago Defense Attorney Patrick Tuite, Grace Arons and Norman Mark titled Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse. The publication contains chapters describing common charges for everything from drugs to murder. The chapter that intrigued me the most was the chapter on drunk driving.
According to the authors, “traffic tickets and subsequent involvement with the court system has become the most common legal experience for Americans of all ages”. “One of the most serious traffic crimes is that of drunk driving or, as know in Illinois, Driving Under the Influence (DUI)”. Driving intoxicated, if it results in the death of another person, can bring a charge of Reckless Homicide which is a Class 3 felony and can draw a penalty of two to five years in jail.
What some young people fail to recognize is that if they are convicted of a reckless homicide, the charge remains on their record forever. It creates a very large handicap when they try to find a job or get accepted at a university.
Young people in the State of Illinois face additional restriction with regard to alcohol consumption and their driver’s license as a result of the Zero Tolerance laws. It is my obligation as the Liquor Control Commissioner to report to the Secretary of State any convictions or supervision periods given to those charged with Unlawful Possession or Consumption of alcohol. In the case of Zero Tolerance violations, anyone under the age of 21 who is operating a motor vehicle with ANY amount of alcohol in their system faces a mandatory driver’s license suspension. The same is true for those caught in possession of alcohol, regardless of the circumstances and whether or not a car in involved, as I am obligated to report the incident and their conviction to the Secretary of State who likewise will
suspend their license. The risks for those under 21 are very high and for good reason. Automobile accidents are the leading killer of young people in Illinois and across the nation.
In Illinois it is currently a crime to drive with 0.08% of alcohol in your system. It doesn’t matter whether you can handle the vehicle properly or not, and all the penalties for drunk driving can be applied to you. You don’t have to weave all over the road. You don’t have to endanger other cars. When you are driving with more than the legal limit of alcohol in your bloodstream, you are committing a crime.
How Much Alcohol Adds up to 0.08%?
The answer to the question depends upon several factors: whether you are male or female, how much you weigh, how much and what type of food you recently ate, etc. Women tend to absorb alcohol faster than men so fewer drinks will often push them more quickly over the legal limit. Heavy people often get drunk slower than thin people, and it takes longer for most folks to register the effects of alcohol after a pizza or a spaghetti dinner than if their stomachs are empty.
Below is information that will give you a rough estimate of the percentage of alcohol in your system after a few drinks. How the drinks will affect you depends on your weight. First, find the type of alcohol you typically drink then, see how many (or how few) drinks it will take to put you over the legally drunk limit. Finally, factor in the length of time over which you have been drinking to determine what kind of shape you are in.
Amount of Alcohol in Common Drinks
Type of Drink Amount of Alcohol in Each Drink
12 oz. beer 0.54 oz.
12 oz. light beer 0.50 oz.
12 oz. reduced alcohol beer 0.28 oz.
Martini 1 oz.
Screw Driver 0.60 oz.
Bloody Mary 0.60 oz.
White Wine (5 oz.) 0.60 oz.
Straight Whiskey 0.70 oz.
Straight Scotch 0.70 oz.
Straight vodka 0.70 oz.
Straight Gin 0.70 oz.
How the Drinks Add Up in Your Body
Your
Weight Ounces of Alcohol Consumed
|
0.5 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
2.0 |
2.5 |
3.0 |
3.5 |
4.0 |
4.5 |
5.0 |
100 |
.04 |
.07 |
.11 |
.14 |
.18 |
.21 |
.25 |
.29 |
.32 |
.36 % of |
120 |
.03 |
.06 |
.09 |
.12 |
.15 |
.18 |
.21 |
.24 |
.27 |
.30 Alcohol |
140 |
.03 |
.05 |
.08 |
.10 |
.13 |
.15 |
.18 |
.21 |
.23 |
.26 in Your |
160 |
.02 |
.05 |
.07 |
.09 |
.11 |
.14 |
.16 |
.18 |
.20 |
.22 System |
180 |
.02 |
.04 |
.06 |
.08 |
.10 |
.12 |
.14 |
.16 |
.18 |
.20 |
200 |
.02 |
.04 |
.06 |
.07 |
.09 |
.11 |
.13 |
.14 |
.16 |
..18 |
220 |
.02 |
.03 |
.05 |
.07 |
,08 |
.10 |
.11 |
.13 |
.15 |
.16 |
240 |
.01 |
.03 |
.05 |
.06 |
.08 |
.09 |
.10 |
.12 |
.13 |
.15 |
Subtract 0.5 oz. alcohol for each hour of drinking time.
Below .05: Possible impairment
.05-.08: Some impairment
.08-.10: Definite impairment—illegal in Illinois
.10+: Obvious impairment—illegal in all states
As an example, let’s say you drink four light beers in an hour which equals two ounces of alcohol, and you weigh 160 pounds. You subtract .5 ounces of alcohol for the hour you have been drinking from the 2 ounces you drank, which leaves 1.5 ounces still in your system. In this example, the percent of alcohol in your system is .07, which is barely under the legal limit. In fact, at .07% you will have some impairment and probably should not drive.
Something we should all keep in mind when celebrating important events in our lives is that it is always better to have a designated driver available who is not drinking. It will not only protect you and your loved ones, but also others who are sharing the roadways with you.
The safety of our residents is very important to me and by working together we can make sure that our loved ones remain safe and sound when driving on local roadways. The strong working relationship between City Hall and the residents we serve is yet another example of why O’Fallon is such a great community in which to live.
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