Beer vendor liable for drunk driver

[RawAlex]

I know this thread sort of faded onto page two, but I found something today checking around (found this on Jayski, but it is taken from somewhere else)

Las Vegas MS stops selling alcohol before the end of the race: For the first time in track history, Las Vegas Motor Speedway stopped selling alcohol before the end of Saturday's NASCAR Busch race and will do the same before today's Nextel Cup race ends. Las Vegas is believed to be among the first NASCAR-sanctioned tracks to ban alcohol sales. Infineon Raceway has cut alcohol sales before the end of the Cup race the last five years. Recent events, including a $105 million court verdict, could lead more tracks to limit when fans purchase alcohol. A Lowe's Motor Speedway spokesperson said Saturday that track officials have discussed stopping alcohol sales at a certain point but have not made a decision. Saturday, Las Vegas Motor Speedway alerted fans that it would stop alcohol sales after lap 170 of the 200-lap Busch series race. The track is expected to cut alcohol sales around lap 225 in today's 267-lap race. Cutting alcohol sales before an event ends has become common in other professional sports but not in racing. Last month, the NBA announced that it would prohibit the sale of alcohol in the fourth quarter, restrict the size of drinks to 24 ounces and limit fans to two drinks. The changes came in response to the brawl last November between Detroit fans and members of the Indiana Pacers. While that fight gained more publicity, a New Jersey court case also is causing sports franchises and beverage vendors to reexamine their policies. A State Superior Court judge upheld a $105 million verdict on March 4 against a Giants Stadium concessionaire for selling beer to a drunken football fan who later caused an accident, leaving a girl paralyzed. The company, Aramark, plans to appeal the verdict.(News and Record)(3-13-2005)

I guess the question is this: How long before alcohol is in the same league as smokes, restricted as all get out?

Local news this weekend reports that 80% of all "trauma" emergency cases that a local hospital treats are as a result of traffic accidents involving drunk drivers.

Like smoking, when will someone figure out the costs are too high, because people are not responsible for thier own actions?

Alex