Re: Alcohol Content was Re: Castle Combe grp B car club and audi q track day (long)

[Andrei Talalaevskii <andrei@insti.physics.sunysb.edu>]

On Wed, 26 Aug 1998, Wolff wrote:
> 
> Hehe, I knew they were in trouble on this one. Phil, you are the first
> person I would classify as a scientific drinker. You could hold
> seminars. In the US alcohol content of beer is listed as a percentage.
> Do you suppose that's by volume or weight?
> Wolff
>

I see two problems with that:

1. In the US the Alcohol Content is usually NOT written on beer. I was 
told (source not 100% reliable) that the reason is that beer is most 
accessible alcohol (in many States it is the only Alcohol one can buy 
outside of Liquor store) and the Government doesn't want consumers to make 
choice of beer in the supermarket by simply picking up the highest 
Alcohol content brew. 

2. In the US BAC is not set by scientific or medical motives. It is set by
_political_ motives as well as by desire to bring more funds from fines to
budgets and to insurance business happy to use State Laws allowing to
surcharge for any offense for N years.  Have anyone observed political
activities of organizations like Long Island Mothers Against Drunk
Drivers? Any doubts regarding who funds them? Just coincidentally, this
and other organization supports certain politicians during elections

Disclaimer: I, personally, never drink more than law allows but heard 
many stories about people who had a drink or two but police reports 
stated BAC so high that would leave anyone unconsciousness. That's why I 
am also afraid. Once, when stopped for speeding and having no drinks for 
at least a week prior to that, I was pulled out of the car and subject to 
humiliating sobriety test (ABC, ZYX, one foot standing, etc.). Cop claimed 
that he was smelling alcohol from me! I had to comply, because by that 
time I have heard many stories about police reports with very surprising 
results of chemical test.

Andrei