Eastern Idaho bars react to ad discouraging vacations to Utah following legal BAC change
The American Beverage Institute has a message to Idahoans planning a trip to Utah, skip it. In a full page ad printed in Tuesday’s edition of the Idaho Statesmen, the ad says “Utah: come for vacation. Leave on probation.”
The ad by the restaurant and liquor industry lobbying group, comes as a form of protest of the new .05 DUI law recent signed by Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.
“If you’re planning a visit to Utah for vacation: be aware,” the ad reads. “As little as one drink with dinner before driving home could land you in jail.”
The new .05 BAC law in Utah makes the Beehive state the first in the nation to lower the legal limit. The current federal limit is .08. Eastern Idaho bar owners believe the change in Utah will result in more business for local bars.
“I definitely know for a fact that it will increase business,” The Brickhouse Bar Manager, Whitney Wagner, said. “For a fact.”
Utah television station, Fox 13, reports that similar ads ran in papers in Salt Lake City. Wagner, who does not support Utah’s BAC change, also doesn’t support the ad.
“That is pretty raw,” Wagner said. “I’m not going to lie, that is pretty raw. That is just horrible. That is horrible in my opinion. There’s a gal on there that they just placed on there just because.”
In addition to the statement made in the ad, it also futures a young woman holding a piece of paper, presumably for a mug shot, that reads “crime: had one drink with dinner.”
Not every establishment in Eastern Idaho believes the Utah reduction will result in more business for Eastern Idaho. The manager for the Frosty Gator, who would not go on camera, said he did not believe Utahans would change their drinking habits. He also said, even if drinkers did, his business wouldn’t see much of a change since it focuses primarily on the restaurant side of things.
The Utah law does not go into effect until 2018. Gov. Gary Herbert has already signed the bill but said he will call lawmakers into special session to address “unintended consequences.” Bar managers worry just the idea of the law paints a negative picture of all drinkers.
“It is just a stereotype thinking that everybody who drinks alcohol, everybody is just crazy,” Wagner said. “Everybody causes a scene. Everybody drives drunk. Everybody doesn’t.”
The idea of a lower legal BAC is not new. In 2016, the National Transportation Board recommended federal lawmakers make the same change to the national legal limit.
In addition to the legal BAC level in Utah, a new law requiring bars and restaurants to hang a sign on their door disclosing the business’ serving intention.
Reports say starting on May 9 it will be illegal in the state to be a restaurant but not have a sign saying, “This premise is licensed as a restaurant. Not a bar.”
It will be illegal for bars to not have a sign saying, “”This premise is licensed as a bar. Not a restaurant.”
A state official says the signs must be placed in a “conspicuous location” near the business’ entrance.
The Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control approved the signsTuesday. The law also allows restaurant patrons to order alcoholic drinks an hour earlier, at 10:30 a.m., on weekends, state and federal holidays and at private events.
