Traffic police check driver's alcohol level - Photo: NAM TRAN
The Ministry of Health is consulting with experts and medical units about alcohol concentrations detected in the body not due to alcohol use, and blood or breath alcohol concentration limits of drivers.
What clearer regulations are needed?
Should it be banned completely?
Mr. TS (29 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) said that he had witnessed many drivers who had consumed alcohol and beer and lost control of the steering wheel, leading to unfortunate traffic accidents. Not only were the drivers affected, but they also affected the people around them.
Drinking alcohol at night, the next morning the driver was still found to have a blood alcohol concentration: What is the limit?
"There are families where parents have to leave their children behind at a very young age because of traffic accidents involving alcohol. It is right to severely punish drivers who use alcohol because human life is paramount.
However, there needs to be clear regulations on natural alcohol when not using alcohol or beer, such as eating fermented ripe fruits. There needs to be a limit on alcohol concentration because, for example, drinking one or two bottles of beer can still make you sober. Or in the case of drinking alcohol at night but going out the next morning, when the alcohol concentration is still positive when tested... Therefore, there needs to be clearer regulations," Mr. S. expressed.
Doctor Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam - Russia Hyperbaric Oxygen Center (Ministry of Defense), said that the current regulation aims to change the old habit of Vietnamese people of drinking alcohol and driving. Since the regulation took effect, it has been changed to the habit of "if you drink alcohol, do not drive".
However, this should only be a transitional phase, after which it will be necessary to move on to drinking above the permitted limit before being punished.
It's difficult but there will be a way.
Doctor Hoang said that when determining the allowable threshold at a low level, exceeding the threshold to punish drivers who drive while drinking alcohol, it is necessary to build a reference standard for regulations in other countries around the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, a standard drink contains 10g of alcohol equivalent to: 1 cup of 40-degree strong alcohol (30ml), 1 glass of 13.5-degree wine (100ml), 1 pint of draft beer (330ml), or 3/4 bottle (can) of 5% beer (330ml).
Many people believe that driving after drinking alcohol should be absolutely prohibited. However, some people are concerned because after drinking alcohol, the next day there is still alcohol concentration, and they are not even aware that they have alcohol concentration left over from the previous day's drinking session.
Doctor Hoang said: "The time it takes for alcohol concentration to be gone depends on many factors such as dosage, type of beer or wine, alcohol concentration, how long you drink, whether you drink on an empty stomach or full stomach... Only one thing is certain: the more beer or wine you drink, the higher the alcohol concentration in your body.
For people with normal metabolism, after 1 hour the liver will absorb and metabolize 1 unit of alcohol. However, to completely eliminate 1 unit of alcohol, the body will need another 1-2 hours. People with impaired liver function or slower metabolism will take longer.
How do countries regulate alcohol concentration?
Dr. Pham Hung Van - former lecturer of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City - added that Vietnam is in the low-income group but is a country with one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption causes many serious consequences related to social order, most notably traffic accidents.
Most traffic accidents are related to the use of alcohol. Therefore, strict punishment with a deterrent effect is extremely necessary. Currently, we should still maintain the current form of alcohol concentration punishment to reduce traffic accidents and act as a deterrent. Then, depending on the situation, we will limit the alcohol concentration when driving.
According to Dr. Van, many countries in the world also apply alcohol concentration limits when driving. People are very limited and strictly follow the rule that drinking alcohol does not participate in traffic. The forms of punishment for using alcohol while driving are very strict and stringent. For example, doctors who participate in traffic exceeding the permitted alcohol concentration limit can have their practice certificates revoked.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management (Ministry of Health), said that the Ministry of Health supports the administrative punishment of cases of alcohol concentration while driving. The National Traffic Safety Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Health is conducting statistical comparisons of these figures and will soon have specific figures on how the number of traffic accidents has decreased.
Expressing his personal opinion on the strict handling of traffic participants who violate the alcohol concentration threshold, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa said that it is necessary to study the strict handling. Vietnam needs to refer to the regulations of other countries in the world to come up with regulations that are harmonious and suitable to the actual context.
90% of readers agree that there should be a limit on alcohol concentration when driving.Source
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