| Using Sting Operations to Reduce Drunk Driving | | | | arresting drinkers while they're still in the bars are |
| In our haste to crack down even harder on | | | | too excessive. To better understand my point, |
| drunken drivers, we sometimes go overboard and | | | | let's create a very possible scenario. My buddy |
| venture into the ridiculous. A case in point | | | | and I go to a Texas bar and my buddy decides |
| concerns the Texas Alcoholic Beverage | | | | to get drunk as a skunk. This decision, from a |
| Commission (TABC). Employing "sting operations" | | | | drunk driving perspective, is OK with me due to |
| at bars throughout the state, TABC officers have | | | | the fact that I agreed to be the "designated |
| been arresting drinkers who have had too many | | | | driver" who will drive my friend home after our |
| drinks. The rationale for these special tactics is | | | | night is over. Under these circumstances, I don't |
| that these sting operations will cut down on drunk | | | | think that the TABC officers have any right to |
| driving. This is a fine rationale, but there's one big | | | | arrest my buddy for excessive drinking. |
| problem with these special operations: the TABC | | | | An Issue of Mixed Messages |
| officers are arresting drinkers while they're still in | | | | Regrettably, the TABC sting operations illustrate |
| the bars! | | | | the mixed messages that exist in our society |
| Affecting the Bottom-Line: Revenue Generation | | | | about drinking alcohol. Simply put, how can |
| Interestingly, some of the main criticisms of the | | | | something as accessible, available, and acceptable |
| tactics employed by TABC have been coming | | | | in our society be so harmful AND illegal when |
| from tourism officials who believe that these sting | | | | consumed at or slightly above moderate intake |
| operations might hurt the tourism industry by | | | | levels? |
| tarnishing Texas' "hard-drinking image." In other | | | | Stated differently, alcohol is so prevalent in our |
| words, if a number of people who usually visit | | | | culture that it has become intimately ingrained in |
| Texas to do some "hard-drinking" believe that | | | | the fabric of our society. Due, however, to the |
| they might get arrested in one of the TABC sting | | | | thousands and thousands of people in our country |
| operations, many would-be tourists may decide | | | | who experience serious alcohol-related health |
| against visiting Texas. Obviously, this could give | | | | problems or who die or get injured in |
| Texas a "bad reputation" that would adversely | | | | alcohol-related traffic accidents every year, many |
| affect the revenue that has been historically | | | | members of the medical community, the law |
| generated by the tourists. | | | | enforcement community, and organizations such |
| Intrusive and Illogical Countermeasures | | | | as MADD and Alcoholics Anonymous actively and |
| I agree that arresting drinkers while they are still | | | | strongly denounce "excessive" drinking and in |
| in the bars is "over the edge" but not because of | | | | some instances advocate total abstinence. |
| the complaints from the tourism officials or | | | | Conclusion |
| because these sting operations are giving Texas a | | | | Unfortunately, until we can significantly reduce or |
| "bad reputation." Simply put, arrests made by | | | | eliminate the mixed messages that exist in our |
| TABC officers while drinkers are still in the bars | | | | society about drinking alcohol, I believe that we |
| are too intrusive and in some instances, unfair. | | | | will continue to experience and hear about |
| This being said, however, I don't think that Texas' | | | | alcohol-related horror stories that have become |
| "hard-drinking image" and tourism issues should | | | | staples of the news industry. In the meantime, |
| affect the intent to significantly reduce the | | | | however, an increasing number of laws will be |
| number of Texans who die or who are injured in | | | | passed that are explicitly directed towards |
| alcohol-related accidents each year. Image and | | | | reducing drunken driving. Some these laws, |
| tourism are legitimate issues, but they should not | | | | however, will be so extreme and intrusive that |
| influence laws that are passed to reduce | | | | they shouldn't exist in a civilized society. TABC, |
| alcohol-related injuries and fatalities on the Texas | | | | are you listening? |
| highways. | | | | Copyright 2007 - Denny Soinski. All Rights |
| A Real-Life Example | | | | Reserved Worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may |
| I am in favor of creative ways to significantly | | | | reprint this article as long as you leave all of the |
| reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents | | | | links active, do not edit the article in any way, and |
| and fatalities experienced on our nation's | | | | give the author credit. |
| highways, but sting operations consisting of | | | | |