The American Beverage Institute is a

trade group A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. An industry tra ...

based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

that lobbies on

alcoholic drink An alcoholic beverage (also called an alcoholic drink, adult beverage, or a drink) is a drink that contains ethanol, a type of alcohol that acts as a drug and is produced by fermentation of grains, fruits, or other sources of sugar. The c ...

related issues on behalf of the restaurant industry. It describes itself as "dedicated to protecting the on-premises dining experience - which often includes the responsible consumption of adult beverages." ABI was set up in 1991 by Richard Berman, executive director of the public affairs firm

Berman and Company Berman and Company is a Washington, D.C. based public affairs and non-profit management firm founded by lawyer and former lobbyist Richard Berman. In addition to its public relations clients, Berman and Company runs several industry-funded non-pro ...

Advocacy

The group sometimes sends letters or columns to newspapers arguing that laws that have been adopted to fight drunk driving are ineffective or inappropriate. It supports a targeted approach to combating drunk driving that includes the use of roving patrols instead of sobriety checkpoints, and restricting use of ignition interlock technology to high

blood alcohol concentration Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For example ...

(BAC) and repeat drunk drivers. Sarah Longwell, ABI's managing director, argues in the

Tampa Tribune ''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area. The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...

that judges should be involved in the decision as to whether or not a low-BAC, first-time offender should have an interlock installed in his or her car. In 2013, ABI announced its opposition to the

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incid ...

's proposal to persuade states to lower the blood alcohol limit, citing the fact that lowering the limit is not among the most effective ways to stop drunken drivers. Since then, ABI has continued to fight .05 laws in states where they are introduced. The most aggressive campaign against .05 legislation launched by ABI occurred in

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

during 2017 and 2018. On top of penning op-eds critical of a lower legal limit for driving, the group also ran an advertisement titled "Utah: Come for Vacation, Leave on Probation." Utah’s .05 law goes into effect at the end of 2018.

MADD founder joins ABI

In 1994,

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a non-profit organization in the United States, Canada and Brazil that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired drivi ...

founder,

Candy Lightner Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a non-profit organization in the United States, Canada and Brazil that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired drivi ...

, joined the American Beverage Institute. She said she supported laws punishing repeat offenders and those who drove after imbibing large amounts of alcohol, but not steadily reducing thresholds for breath tests which progressively lower amounts of social drinking. In 2010, Lightner wrote a letter to an ABI executive thanking him for his continued support working "on legislation that would increase punishment for drivers who drive with a higher blood lcoholcontent." In 2013, Lightner opposed the lowering of the blood alcohol limit, opposing the

's efforts to persuade states to do so.https://www.usnews.com/news/newsgram/articles/2013/05/28/madd-founder-dont-lower-the-legal-bac-limit

References

External links

Official site
{{Authority control Trade associations based in the United States Front organizations Alcohol industry trade associations 1991 establishments in Washington, D.C. Organizations based in Washington, D.C.

Advocacy

MADD founder joins ABI

References

Further reading

External links