British Medical Association to campaign for drink-drive limit to be lowered

Adds final six pars, additional BMA comment and reaction from Alcohol Change UK

The British Medical Association (BMA) will campaign to lower the legal blood alcohol limit for drink driving in the UK, members have decided.

At the organisation’s annual representative meeting in Liverpool, a motion was brought by the BMA’s North West Regional Council with a call to campaign to bring down the limit to the average of European nations.

The move was passed by members, attending both in person and remotely.

At the moment, the legal limit for driving after consuming alcohol in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, or 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.

The limit is among the highest in Europe.

In Scotland, the limit was brought down to 50 milligrams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of blood in 2014.

As part of the campaign, the BMA will also aim to educate the public on the risks of drug-driving and improve the provision of drug and alcohol services in the community.

Speaking in favour of the motion, Dr Simon Minkoff said: “We need society to understand impairment caused by various medications and other substances, and that we choose to change our ideas and the accepted norms.”

He added that the funding for current drug and alcohol services is “woeful” and leaves communities “unable to deliver a meaningful service”.

He said: “Our campaign says it needs to recognise we need more service. That requires more funding, more training, more professionals, more experts, more specialists.”

The BMA will also work to remind doctors of current professional guidelines relating to driving.

“We need to commission fully-funded, fit-for-purpose, drug and alcohol services across the UK.”

Professor David Strain, BMA board of science chair, added: “Doctors are primarily concerned with saving lives, and protecting and improving people’s health. While the direct risk that alcohol poses to people’s health is clear, the indirect harms stretch much further – not least when someone decides to get behind the wheel after drinking, sometimes with lethal consequences.

“With the exception of Scotland, when we look at our contemporaries across Europe, the UK has a higher threshold for the drink-drive limit which makes no sense. It’s not as if when we cross borders that the body suddenly reacts differently to alcohol. Meanwhile, the public focus should not be limited just to drinking, but to any substance – whether legal or illegal – that alters cognitive and neurological functions, and therefore the capability to drive.

“This resolution underlines the BMA’s dedication to improving and protecting the health of the public and commitment to a safer and healthier society.”

Andrew Misell, director for Wales at Alcohol Change UK, welcomed the campaign.

He added: “We fully support lowering the legal blood alcohol limit to reduce drink driving accidents. Standardising the blood alcohol limit for driving across the UK to a lower level would also bring England, Wales and Northern Ireland in line with Scotland, as well as the rest of Europe.

“At the same time, we need to reinforce the message that, whatever the legal limit, if you’re intending to drive, then you should avoid alcohol altogether. That includes avoiding heavy drinking the night before driving. Even a small amount of alcohol in your bloodstream can make you more dangerous on the road.”