The Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland supports the proposed legislation to reduce the legal limit for drink driving and calls on the Minister for Transport, Mr Noel Dempsey, TD, to publish the legislation as soon as possible.

The international literature on alcohol and driving is extensive and clear: alcohol in almost any amount impairs driving ability. The risk of a driver being involved in a crash increases rapidly as the blood level reaches 50mg/100ml. At the current legal limit (80mg/100ml) in Ireland a driver’s ability to drive safely is seriously impaired. Given the available evidence the World Health Organisation has recently called on all countries to reduce the legal limit to 50 mg/100ml or lower.

Other countries that have already reduced their limits have seen that lowering the legal limit to 50mg/100ml is accompanied by a significant fall in deaths and injury as a result of drink driving.  Only three countries in the EU (Ireland, United Kingdom and Malta) have legal limits above 50mg/100ml.

Ireland has a serious drink problem and this is manifested in the high rate of deaths on the roads that are alcohol related.  Alcohol is a factor in one in three fatal crashes in Ireland.  Lowering the limit to 50mg/100ml will save lives and reduce injury and disability.

Dr Patricia Fitzpatrick, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health Medicine, RCPI stated, “The legal limit needs to be lowered to 50mg/100ml. The evidence from other countries is clear; lowering the limit works, it will save lives and reduce the number of people attending Emergency Departments and hospitals with serious injuries. It will make our roads safer for everyone”.

For further information please contact:

Annemarie Murphy

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
Direct Ph: 01 8639728
Mobile Ph: 086 8456646
Main Ph: 01 8639700
Fax: +353 1 6724707
annemariemurphy@rcpi.ie

www.rcpi.ie

Notes for Editor

The mission of The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) is to develop and maintain high professional standards in specialist medical practice in order to achieve optimum