I think a sample size of 362 people across multiple sporting events is too small, but my gut tells me that the numbers here probably aren't too far off:
The University of Minnesota's School of Public Health conducted research published Tuesday indicating that fans do, indeed, have a powerful thirst. In a study that says it is the first to measure the blood alcohol content of fans leaving pro sporting events in the U.S., researchers found 8 percent of fans had a BAC above 0.08 -- the legal limit to drive -- while 40 percent were between 0 and 0.08, indicating they had consumed at least some alcohol.
We're talking about just adults here, legal adults I assume, so I think the percentage having at least some alcohol may be reasonably close. The reporter seems a little scandalized by that but it doesn't sound like a problem to me. What's the big deal about one or two beers at a ballgame? And this statement from the researcher seems way out of line to me:
"If we assume that our results accurately represent individuals attending professional events, it means that -- on average -- almost 5,000 attendees leaving one National Football League event would be above the legal BAC limit for driving," Erickson said. "That's a lot of drunken individuals who could be involved in traffic accidents, assaults, vandalism, crime and other injuries."
Even if 5000 people leave an event over the legal limit for driving, there's no way that equates to 5000 possible drunken drivers. Sporting events tend to be group events and group events among adults these days tend to have a designated driver. In fact, I bet a significant number of those over the legal limit allowed that to happen specifically because they had a designated driver. Give me a buck for every time I've heard or said, "Hell, I'm not driving!" I could practically retire.
As for "assaults, vandalism, crime and other injuries", yes, there will be a few doorknobs who get sloppy and fall down or do something stupid. If you get 60,000 people together that's the way it is...and some of them will even have been drinking. The overwhelming number of those .08 or more are going to be just fine though, as long as they don't get behind the wheel. I'm sure the wimps and prudes crowd disagrees, but then, they're wimps and prudes.
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