A DUI Conviction Could Mean a One Year Restriction on Buying Alcohol: North Dakota Reform Bill Gains Momentum, Could Set Example
After 3 tragic deaths resulting from two separate DUI-related incidents in Fargo, ND, a bill is gaining momentum that would prohibit an individual convicted of DUI from buying alcohol. After a DUI conviction, the law would require that an individual’s license be marked with a symbol denoting the restriction. The restriction would last for one year for any DUI, first or fifth, and five years if it was determined that the DUI caused an accident. Proponents of the new law claim individuals do not take driving under the influence seriously enough, because even driving a flew block or a mile on the interstate could result in a serious accident. Opponents claim the law crosses a line. Beyond prohibiting people from buying alcohol for a year, they say the shame involved in showing your ID for other purposes—renting a hotel room, airport security—with a DUI emblem is too strong a punishment. The bill will be voted on next legislative session. If it passes and reduces DUI, recidivism, and DUI-related accidents, there could be similar bills seen enacted across the country.
