New Mexico has some of the highest highway accident  death rates in the nation. In order to combat those death rates , the New Mexico State Legislature has proposed some laws that would ban the sale of alcohol to those convicted of driving under the Influence of alcohol.  State Legislatures constantly rework the DUI laws every session. It always looks good on your resume to be tough on crime and in particular drunk drivers. Will the proposed law work ?

First , the state would require a special license that would advise that one has been convicted of a DUI. Second, a bar , grocery store , or liquor store would not be allowed to sell that person alcohol, but first they would have to check the person’s ID. Will that happen every time ? Would happens to the bar or store that may miss a ID?  Here is one comment on the proposed law ;

“I don’t see this affecting the reduction of death and injury,” said Linda Atkinson, executive director of the D.W.I. Resource Center in Albuquerque, which has pushed for tougher drunken-driving laws. “A lot of times, you see bills that make logical sense, but can you really prohibit someone from purchasing alcohol?”

A advocate for tougher drunk driving laws does not even believe that the new law would be effective. If New Mexico passes this new law it will join Alaska in prohibiting the use of alcohol to those convicted of DUI. Compare these laws with Tennessee’s laws on bail bond conditions. Tennessee has some laws in effect that subject one to random drug screens which detect alcohol use.This bail bond condition is used in Nashville frequently. It seems to me  that New Mexico’s get tough on DUI is going to be expensive and tough to enforce.