Greg Botelho

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Recommended: The Culture of Alcohol Consumption

Botelho, Greg. "NTSB Calls for Lowering Blood Alcohol Limit, but Is That the Answer?." CNN Wire Service. 05 Feb. 2016: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 30 Sep. 2016.
1. The author of this article, Greg Botelho, is a writer for CNN, a worldwide credible news source. Botelho’s overall purpose for writing this article is to inform his intended audience, American drivers, about the National Transportation Safety Board’s opinion on lowering the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) levels, and includes other advocate groups opinions’ against lowering the legal levels. Botelho himself suggests that lower BAC levels should be positively enforced, as it would decrease drunk driving fatality cases.
2. The National Transportation Safety Board recommends …show more content…

24/7 Sobriety is a program tailored for repeat DUI offenders. These offenders are allowed to drive all they want, but are under court order not to drink at all. To ensure that no drinking is occurring, twice a day, offenders are required to visit a police facility and take a breathalyzer test, with the consequence of drinking resulting in mandatory arrest. The article then goes on to explain why a program with as much success as 24/7 Sobriety isn’t more widely adopted: this program challenges the common theory of addiction being a “brain disease” that cannot possibly be resolved by practicing methods such as rewards and penalties. The difference between 24/7 Sobriety and other alcohol rehabilitation programs is that 24/7 Sobriety promotes alcohol abstinence instead of “drinking responsibly” while having the added pressure of alcohol constantly being around an …show more content…

The Supreme Court ruled that police must obtain a search warrant before requiring a suspected drunk driver to take a DUI blood test, but, possible offenders who refuse a breath test can still be arrested on the spot. The court's rule was based on the judgment that blood tests are painful and violate Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches without a warrant, while breath tests are less intrusive and not very demanding. Some Justices believe that warrants should be required for both breath and blood tests, as warrant requirements will dial down later on if they are not heavily enforced now. However, some government lawyers state that the court system would be overwhelmed with "unnecessary paperwork" if warrants were required for breath and blood tests. In addition, advocates for stronger penalties believe that this Supreme Court decision will make it easier for drunk drivers to avoid necessary punishment. The ruling has reversed many cases involving refusal of both breath and blood

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