By David G. Firestone
I was going to do a column on something else, but I saw this story, and I have to talk about it. Every so often, a story comes along, and you read it and think “why didn’t I think of this before?” Well, Utah has provided such a story with a new law concerning alcohol.
The story starts on April 26, 2022, when a serial drunk scumbag named Mason Andrew Ohms left a West Jordan bar, and got behind the wheel. Ohms ran a red light, and hit and killed 13-year old Eli Mitchell, who was legally crossing the street in a crosswalk. Ohms then drove away, leaving the boy to die. He was arrested not long thereafter, and was convicted and sentenced to 1 to 15 years in prison.
This was Mason Ohms’ sixth conviction for DUI. This was not lost on Eli Mitchell’s family, who decided to do something about it. Glendon Mitchell, Eli’s grandfather worked to intoduce House Bill 437. HB 437 also know as the 100% ID Law, mandates that bars, restaurants, and any location where alcohol is sold ID checks every customer purchasing alcohol regardless of age or appearance.
HB 437 also mandates a new set of rules for those convicted of driving drunk. According to KSL.com, under this new law:
-Judges may restrict alcohol purchases for certain offenders.
-Individuals convicted of an extreme DUI—defined as a blood alcohol content of 0.16 or higher, or driving above Utah’s 0.05 limit with illegal substances present—may be designated as “interdicted” and prohibited from buying alcohol for a period of time.
-Interdicted individuals will receive a special ID. Their driver license or state ID will display a “No Alcohol Sale” label across the photo. This notation is visible during required visual ID checks by anyone selling or serving alcohol.
Given the sheer number of DUI arrests, and how many repeat offenders there are out there, it’s amazing it took this long for this approach to happen. Holding establishments that serve booze to intoxicated people responsible is a good move. I live in Illinois, and have worked in a retail store that sells alcohol. State inspectors can, and do bust cashiers for not checking IDs. I don’t think that there is a state that doesn’t have these laws, but more rigid enforcement is a good thing.
The idea of special ID cards that instruct establishments not to sell booze to convicted drunk drivers is a stroke of brilliance. Given how many repeat drunk drivers there are out there, this approach is a great move. Many of these people will never change if left to their own devices. Some people really need to be protected from their own worst instincts, especially when their actions put other people in dangers.
Also, let’s discuss who are against this rule. The first group are retailers who sell booze. Well, as I said, above, there are laws all over the country concerning this, now they are being enforced. I’ve also heard that some people think that this new law infrindges on their “personal liberties.” Well, that’s an ignorant take if ever I’ve heard one.
While prohibition on a national level is not a thing due to the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, cities, counties, and even states can be dry. Jack Daniel’s whiskey is headquartered in Lynchburg, Tennessee, which is in Moore County, a dry county. You can’t buy a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, the biggest whiskey company in America in the county it is made in.
Furthermore, nobody in the United States has a right to drink alcohol. If it isn’t an established right, it is a privilege. If a judge decides that you can’t drink due to an arrest, then you can’t drink. Being held accountable for your actions might suck, but the law is the law. Abusing a privilege can and will cause you to lose said privilege.
I love this thought process, and I love the idea of dealing drunk drivers like this. I hope this thought process spreads to other states. We need to crack down on drunk drivers, and this is a great way to start.
Sources cited:
The Driver Suit Blog 