How many drunk drivers have MADD actually gotten off the roads? Rather than helping the alcoholic get treatment for their disease, they charge them enormous fees that someone is profiting from, make it impossible for them to purchase any type of insurance forever, take away their method of transportation making it impossible to provide for a family or maintain employment, etc.. I do not drink and drive and have never had a DUI; however, I have seen lives destroyed because of the insane rules of MADD. Most people who have gotten DUIs have never had accidents. Many are borderline legally intoxicated; however, their penalty is the same as one who is so intoxicated one wonders how he/she walked to the car. I have lost a child due to another driver but am not so MAD that I wish to destroy all lives because of my loss. Also, why is there not better monitoring for other drugs than alcohol? What about the pot smokers who choose to drive while buzzed? MADD rules appear to me to be geared toward punishing rather than helping society.

This is a good example of what occurs when an organization like MADD "sleeps with the enemy". The alcohol industry is not interested in reducing drunk driving arrests. They are interested in selling their product. The only reason they partnered with MADD was to exert influence and track MADD's lobbying efforts. When MADD proposed legislation that the alcohol industry felt would be detrimental to sales, the industry fought back.

There have been many people, some children, killed by drunk drivers who were "borderline" intoxicated by Pat's standard. There is no excuse for drinking and driving, EVER!

First things first. Is alcholism a disease? If you think it is then why isn't more attention being directed at the culprit(alcohol makers)as it is for tobacco. Secondly, would our government let a product that knowingly detroys so many lives continue to be sold if this was truly a disease? There are more liquor stores openening today in nieghborhoods than any outer retail outlet, there's even mega liquor stores. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but the proof is in the pudding. The buzz work today is "common sense" well common sense tells me that a "drunk is going to drink" no matter what. To drink or not to drink is an individual choice and providing treatment for someone who breaks the law is ridiculous. Break the law, go to jail it does not matter whether it's the first offense or second or third. We need to make it plain. NO EXCUSES! Treatment program don't work they just waste taxpayer money. It a person wants to quit drinking, they will find the power within themselves to do so! Or they should be locked up if they break the law and the penalty should be as stiff as possible, maybe they'll get the message, we mean business regarding this matter. Drink all you want, but don't you dare drive and put someone else's live in jeopardy otherwise you will pay, big time! Or your family will!

Yes alcoholism is a cunning and powerful disease which attacks the central nerve system. People who drink are senseless and out of control thats os what is called being drunk. I have went to jail because of pulling an ex boyfriend from attemping to drive while very inotoxicated. Who know who would have died then. Treatment that is enforce by courts does NOT work. The alcoholic is like the a lepored in disquise, Only changing its spots to suite the prey or until the next episode of the drunk. MADDD serves as a point of Justice & protection. With out MADD persueing the the enforcement of Zero tolerance of 0.01 blood level more drunks would be out on the road and more lives would be lost. The choices and consequences is up to the person consuming the alochol.Stiffer consequences of sending these people to SERVE & WORK IN DETOX centers may help the perspective OF TREATMENT AND GET MORE DRUNKS OFF THE ROAD. Re-offenders need more time inpatient centers other than 30 day stays. Contract,pledges are just words. Actions speak lowder that words.

The extreme points of view expressed in some of the above comments indicate just how diverse and fractured are the many opinions and approaches to address this contentious issue. Point 01 for enforcement? Alcoholism is not a disease? What constitutes effective prevention? Treatment? Enforcement? Permissible levels of BAC tolerance for drivers? Extremism in any form more often hinders than helps in trying to address such matters. Driving under the influence of any mind-altering substance is cause for concern and action, especially when it results in accidents, injuries and fatalities. DUI prevention/ intervention requires a broad-based effort that addresses education/ prevention, treatment, legislation and enforcement when appropriate and necessary. But over-zealous extremism is not the answer in any form.

Richard is right. Sooner or later the alcohol beverage industry will use you. Organizations like MADD don't believe it till it happens. No one who wants to implement effective alcohol beverage public policy should take money from the industry...ever. But I guess you have to experience it to see for yourself. They will use, use, use you and you might not even realize it. Designated drivers...sure, then everyone in the car goes home and we end up with emergency room visits for broken bones, domestic violence, hild abuse and the list goes on but...we avoided a crash on the road. Wise up...let's get to the root of the problem...intoxication and establish a the right culture in spite of the industry.

Addiction, to any brain altering chemical substance, including alcohol, is a brain disease. That is not a matter of opinion. It is a conclusion of medical science. If you question the accuracy of this statement, go read the recent research results from NIDA and the NIAAA of the National Institutes for Health (www.nida.nih.nida; www.niaaa.nih.gov/). The predisposition to Addiction is genetically transmitted to offspring from parents and grandparents. "Predisposition" doesn't mean "a tendency to," it means that the disease will become active IF the person drinks alcohol, smokes cigarettes or marijhuana, uses vicodon, etc. Once people become addicted, it is nearly impossible for them to stop using alcohol and other drugs. Because addiction is a brain disease (like depression) and an inherited disease (like diabetes or high blood pressure), people who have it need outside help to manage it and to send it into remission. That's why medicines (like Naltrexone and others) have been developed, and that is why groups like Alcoholic Anonymous are so popular. AA (Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-Step programs) is the only "cure" for addiction. No one who has had addiction can use drugs of any sort without becoming physically dependent.

MADD must come to understand and state publically that addiction-- whether to alcohol or Oxycoton or cocaine --is a brain disease, as clearly established by Dr. Volkow and others of the National Institutes of Health. And addicts who drive under the influence of drugs MUST receive treatment/be sent to AA/be given medication to support treatment / AA in order to get them to stop driving. Even non-addicts may need treatment to enable them to "see" that once they are intoxicated, they are unable to make reasonable decisions (like, I'm too high/drunk to drive safely). Yes, get intoxicated drivers off the road, and punish them for breaking the law, but get them help for their disease if they are addicted or education about the role of the intoxicated brain in decision-making. Yes, let's help everyone involved: drivers with the disease of addiction and/or lack of education, the victim, and the community at large. And enforce the law.............................but be humane.

Why do bars have parking lots for cars?

How many times a year does a drunk person "sober up" on a cigarette in order to drive the car "safely out of that neighborhood". There needs to be more research into "self-medicating" by drinkers on tobacco and to a lesser extent caffeine which surely leads to thousands of fatalities attributed to the alcohol.

I know if I EVER got a DUI (hypothetical), I would be horrified and remorseful, and I believe many who do get a DUI are the same, it is those repeat offenders I believe the stiffer penalties need to be levied. Aside from the disease of alcoholism, what would possibly be the excuse one would have to get behind the wheel of a vehicle drunk? So I think MADD needs to concentrate of education and prevention and also educating all of us law abiding citizens and normalizing that it REALLY is not okay to be under the influence of anything and drive.

Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have gone down in the last twenty years or so; how much credit MADD deserves for this is subject to debate. I think quite a bit.

In response to Cindy above, do not put words in my mouth. I never indicated that drinking and driving is ever OK. This is how MADD interprets. I disagree with the way MADD is pushing to handle DUIs. We have numerous drivers on the roads driving without a license who never received treatment following their DUIs. My son was killed because of a driver under the influence, but it was not alcohol. Subsequently, he was never punished for killing our son because he passed the alcohol test. I believe there should be punishment for all DUIs but I believe the punishment should fit the level of intoxication and I believe there are other means than punishment to decrease DUIs. Some people can drink 1 beer and be legally intoxicated. This being the case I believe the country should maybe go back to prohibition or stop selling any alcoholic beverages in restaurants, etc.. People should only be allowed to drink in their homes. All automobiles should be required to have breath analyzers installed on them. And these analyzers should detect other drugs, as well as alcohol. Even if one says they never drink they should still be required to have this gadget installed in case someone else may drive their autiomobile or they decide to have just one drink. Anyone who gets more than 1 DUI should be required to go through extensive treatment (not just ventilating to someone) for addiction. No one who has control over drug use would ever allow themselves to get a second DUI.

Treatment for first time offenders is a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card" and this should not be allowed under any circumstances. Break the law , go to jail first time, anytime. By not giving these first timers this excuse card I believe a lot more lives will be saved. Isn't that the most important issue here, saving lives, maybe even that potential drunk driver. Common sense, most of the carnege is caused by so called "first time offenders". They are not first time offenders; they just finnaly got caught! People who have never gotten caught or those thinking what if I drink and drive are just trying to have a happy landing. (get ouit of jail free) GO MADD!

Should MADD be fighting the current popularization of idea that addiction is a disease. Under the rule that addiction is a disease every DUI/DWI offender cam claim immunity from the law based on his/her "medical condition".

I believe addiction is a disease, but driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is NOT a disease. It is reckless and stupid and should be punished with jail time, fines, revocation of licenses, whatever. Being an alcoholic is no excuse for doing something that is clearly dangerous. And forcing people into treatment against their will is a joke. I was forced into rehabs numerous times (by my family, not by the law) and i went back to boozing as soon as i got out. I met other people in rehab who had been through inpatient treatment eight times or more, mandated by the courts, and these folks just kept relapsing as well. What an enormous waste of time and money. Not until i really WANTED to stop drinking did i quit for good. And in my alcoholic days i drove under the influence and i'm not proud of it, i KNEW it was wrong even at the time...it's just a miracle or dumb luck that i never got caught or hurt or killed anyone.

Impaired drivers should be handeled administratively and all other violations through the criminal justice system. Trying to treat a medical problem with punishment is unreasonable.

MADD, Is in fact MADD, Thier lunacy drove Candy Lightner the MADD founder to leave the organization because it has became an altruist Prohibitionist organization. I have called my local chapter and ask for them to join our coalition to raise the beer tax here in Michigan, of course they did not want to go there, they are HYPOCRITS.

Missing in all of this is the amount of alcohol necessary to reach a 0.08 g/210 L of air level on a breath test--5 standard drinks for a man, 4 standard drinks for woman over two hours. I have seen people who worked for a company for 20-years fired because of 0.08 or 0.09 result. Yes, their driving at that level would be impaired. MADD is mad because the percentage of fatal accidents with 0.08 BAC or higher has reached an asymptote and is creeping back up (Traffic Safety Facts, www.nhtsa.gov). The impact of the 21-drinking law was a dramatic increase in drinking--typical response to prohibition. Lower the drinking age to 18, raise the tax on alcohol, put the money into training teachers to deliver effective programs beginning in middle school (anything but DARE)--too sensible for MADD.

This is undoubtedly a difficult topic for everyone concerned. On one hand, those affected by the death, loss of limb or even property are understandably sympathetic to M.A.D.D. and their tendencies to force adoption of stringent rules/laws. On the other hand, these laws have effectively degraded our contitutional rights. The statistics are always skewed by politics and our nation's people are abdicating our most precious national treasure, our constitution. While we should be concerned, even MAD when someone is killed or injured, the notion of preventing even 1 DUI with an over-reaching laws is unconstitutional.

Why not make the law such that if you drink and drive you lose your license forever and receive a fine equal to the value of your car - so they can sell the car and create a fund for the victims of drunk drivers? Repeat offenders would have trouble drinking and driving without a car. My health has never been the same since I was in an accident caused by a drunk driver, but at least I got out alive... so many every day are not so lucky.