Debate on the classification of driving after consuming non-alcoholic beverages as drunk driving
Due to potential abuse, swift action by authorities is necessary
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| Photo=SBS News |
A beverage that reportedly makes one feel intoxicated without containing alcohol is being sold in the UK. There is controversy over whether driving after consuming this drink constitutes drunk driving and how one would be penalized if an accident occurred.
Recently, a university professor in the UK introduced an alcohol-free drink on YouTube that he developed.
Instead of alcohol, he combined various plant ingredients to make our brains feel as if they were intoxicated.
On the 18th, SBS News reported that they ordered the beverage from a liquor sales website in the UK as part of a fact-checking experiment.
The drink that arrived had a cloudy purple color.
A common opinion was that after drinking about half a cup, mental fog set in about 15 minutes later.
The news team also conducted a test with a vehicle that would not start if the driver was intoxicated.
The result was that the vehicle started, accompanied by a notification that the test was passed.
What’s more astonishing is the blood alcohol content: it registered at 0.000%.
Driving after consuming this alcohol-free drink may increase the likelihood of accidents, but police are unable to enforce or penalize it with a breathalyzer.
Given the potential for misuse in evading drunk driving checks, swift action by the authorities seems necessary.
