People have suggested that there should be clear regulations on the natural alcohol content when consuming fermented ripe fruits... The head of the Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management ( Ministry of Health ) also expressed his personal opinion that regulations should be harmonious and appropriate to reality.
Traffic police check drivers' blood alcohol levels - Photo: NAM TRAN
The Ministry of Health is seeking opinions from experts and medical units regarding the detection of alcohol levels in the body not resulting from alcohol consumption, and the limits for blood or breath alcohol concentration in drivers.
What kind of clearer regulations are needed?
Should it be banned completely?
Mr. TS (29 years old, Ho Chi Minh City) said he has witnessed many drivers who had consumed alcohol and lost control of their vehicles, leading to unfortunate traffic accidents. Not only are the drivers affected, but those around them are also impacted.
"There are families where parents have to leave behind their children at a very young age because of traffic accidents related to alcohol. Strictly punishing drivers who use alcohol is right because human life is paramount."
However, there needs to be clear regulations regarding natural alcohol when not consuming alcoholic beverages, 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 might still leave one feeling sober. Or, in cases where someone drinks alcohol the night before but goes out the next morning, a breathalyzer test might still show a positive result... Therefore, clearer regulations are needed," Mr. S. expressed.
Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, from the Vietnam-Russia Hyperbaric Oxygen Center ( Ministry of Defense ), believes that the current regulations aim to change the old habit of Vietnamese people of driving after consuming alcohol. Since the regulations came into effect, this has been replaced by the habit of "if you have consumed alcohol, do not drive."
However, this should only be a transitional measure; penalties would only apply after exceeding the permitted limit.
It's difficult, but there's a way.
Dr. Hoang believes that when determining the permissible threshold at a low level, and only penalizing drivers who exceed this threshold, it is necessary to develop standards by referencing regulations in other countries around the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards, one standard drink unit contains 10g of alcohol, equivalent to: 1 shot of 40-proof spirits (30ml), 1 glass of 13.5-proof wine (100ml), 1 pint of draft beer (330ml), or 3/4 of a bottle (can) of 5% beer (330ml).
Many people believe that driving after drinking alcohol should be completely banned. However, some are concerned that alcohol levels may persist until the next day, and some may not even be aware of the residual alcohol from the previous day's drinking session.
According to Doctor Hoang, "The time it takes for alcohol to disappear from the body depends on many factors such as the amount consumed, the type of beer or wine, the alcohol content, how long the drinking session lasts, whether it's on an empty stomach or after a meal... One thing is certain, however: the more beer or wine you drink, the higher the alcohol concentration in your body."
For individuals with normal metabolism, the liver can absorb and metabolize one unit of alcohol in one hour. However, it takes the body another 1-2 hours to completely eliminate one unit of alcohol. Those with impaired liver function or slower metabolism will take longer.
What are the regulations regarding blood alcohol concentration in different countries?
Dr. Pham Hung Van - former lecturer in the Microbiology Department of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy - added that Vietnam is in the low-income group but has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption. Alcohol use causes many serious consequences related to social order, most notably traffic accidents.
The majority of traffic accidents are related to alcohol consumption. Therefore, strict and deterrent penalties are absolutely necessary. Currently, we should maintain the current form of penalties for drunk driving to reduce traffic accidents and serve as a deterrent. Later, depending on the situation, we will limit the blood alcohol concentration when driving.
According to Dr. Van, many countries around the world also apply limits on blood alcohol concentration while driving. People are very careful to limit and strictly adhere to the rule that if they drink alcohol, they should not drive. The penalties for using alcohol while driving are very strict and rigorous. For example, doctors who drive exceeding the permitted blood alcohol limit may have their medical licenses 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 administrative penalties for cases of driving under the influence of alcohol. The National Traffic Safety Committee, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, is currently compiling and comparing these figures, and specific numbers on how many traffic accidents have decreased will be available soon.
Expressing his personal opinion on strictly punishing traffic violators who exceed the legal blood alcohol limit, Mr. Nguyen Trong Khoa suggested that strict penalties should be studied. He argued that Vietnam needs to consult regulations from other countries around the world to formulate regulations that are harmonious and appropriate to the actual context.
According to DUONG LIEU (tuoitre.vn)
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