Alberta's new alcohol driving legislation, which comes into effect next week, is being applauded by some and panned by others.zAs of Sept. 1 drivers caught with a blood alcohol level between 50 mg per cent and 80 mg per cent face automatic three-day licence suspensions and vehicle seizures, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders.Drivers who blow over 80 mg per cent, in addition to criminal charges, will now face immediate licence suspensions until charges are resolved, as well as mandatory participation in the ignition interlock program.William Moore, a Didsbury resident, said he's anything but happy with the new 50 mg per cent rule.“It's (expletive deleted),” said Moore. “You can't even drink a beer and drive home after work. I think I should be able to go to the pub after busting my butt all day at work and drive home and I can't even do that now.”But Bobbie Keding, a server at JD's Restaurant and Pizza in Didsbury, says she completely agrees with the new laws.“I don't let my customers drive home drunk and if they do I get mad at them the next time I see them,” said Keding. “People drive in, get wasted and go back to their car to drive home. If somebody's going to drive, you can't really stop them.”Working at a small town pub does have the advantage of having the staff usually know the clientele, she explained.“I know most of the people who come here so I can be straight up with them,” she said. “If I know somebody is getting too drunk, I won't give them another drink unless they give me their keys. I make sure they're either going to walk home or find a ride.”Didsbury RCMP Sgt. Jeff Jacobson says the new rules will hopefully help encourage people to make the appropriate arrangements if they are going out to enjoy an evening with alcohol.“These people need to have a plan to get home that doesn't involve driving,” said Jacobson.When asked about how much alcohol is too much, Sgt. Jacobson said that there is no easy answer.“It completely depends on the person,” he said. “For some people it can be one or two beers. Some people have five or six before they're at the limit.”“You don't even have to be over the limit to be charged. Some people display signs of impairment well under the legal limit,” he added.Jacobson says the best advice he can offer is to keep things simple: “Any use of alcohol followed by driving is not recommended.”
