After a precipitous drop in business for local pubs, police in Kelowna are telling bar patrons to relax -- B.C.'s tough new drunk-driving laws don't mean that drivers have to abstain completely.
At the Creekside Pub and Grill, owner Richard Stotz says that business has dropped by a staggering 80 per cent since the new regulations came into effect in September.
"Our normal sales for the week would be maybe 20 kegs of draught, and right now I've dropped to about five kegs a week," Stotz told CTV News.
"The days are numbered for this industry."
In fact, the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association says that business has dropped by 20 to 30 per cent province-wide in places where people need to drive to restaurants and bars.
The new rules have scared some patrons away from alcohol altogether.
"People are staying home because they don't know what .05 means, and so as a result they are very, very reluctant to go out and have a glass of wine," the association's Ian Tostenson said.
But even police are saying that's probably an over-reaction. In an effort to clarify the matter, Kelowna Mounties gathered members of the media and others to prove what one drink really does.
One participant blew a .008 after a single beer.
"His blood alcohol content right now is 10 per cent of the criminal limit in Canada," Const. Chad Lucash said.
A female participant was still under the warning level after three glasses of wine, and CTV's Kent Molgat was able to knock back six Caesars without blowing over the .05 warning level, hitting a .04 instead.
But not everyone can handle that much alcohol. Another woman blew over the warning level after a single extra large 20-ounce beer.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Kent Molgat
