The licensed beverage industry thinks Missouri needs to be tougher on the people who use too much of its products and then drive. The Century Club, an organization funded by distillers, says Missouri’s drunk driving laws are similar to most other states, but Club President Ralph Blackman says Missouri is behind most other states in one important category – getting tougher on the person whose blood alcohol content is .15 or more, about double the legal definition for drunk driving. Missouri Highway Patrol Spokesman Chris Ricks says the best thing to do with those people is to get them off the road, although that does not solve the problem. Blackman says drivers caught at .15 or higher should do jail time the first time they’re caught, at least long enough to be assessed and recommended for treatment. Revenue Department figures show more than 12,000 motorists were arrested in Missouri with blood-alcohol levels of .15 or more in the last fiscal year.
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