Proposal would lower Nevada's blood-alcohol limit to .08

Similar attempts have failed every legislative session since 1991, with opponents arguing social drinkers would be unfairly penalized and drivers with higher blood-alcohol contents are the ones causing highway deaths.

Opponents, including lobbyists for the liquor industry and Nevada casinos, also contend the moneyspent on enforcing a lower limit could be better used for education and prevention programs.

Manendo, D-Las Vegas, says he's going ahead with the proposal anyway, and urges supporters of the plan to get involved.

"People need to contact their legislators and let them know we need this bill, that they support this bill," he said. "If they're against it, say that as well."

"We're not cutting into a social drinker. This has nothing to do with your ability to drink at home. As long as they're not behind the wheel, it's not going to affect them," Manendo added.

He also discounts theories that a lower drunken driving limit would inflate Nevada's prison population, and argues that offenders with three or more DUI convictions - those subject to prison terms - typically have much higher blood-alcohol contents when arrested.

Statistics compiled by the state show the average blood-alcohol contents of people arrested in Nevada in the first nine months of 1998 ranged from 0.10 to more than 0.20.

In Nevada, 140 people were killed in 130 alcohol-related crashes in 1997. In 1996, there were 145 deaths in 131 accidents, and in 1995, the numbers totaled 124 deaths in 111 crashes.

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