Vietnam consults WHO on natural alcohol in human body amid total DUI ban debate

The move was made as the National Assembly was discussing a draft for the Law on Road Traffic Safety, as several delegates said a total ban on driving for people with any level of alcohol content in their bodies was not appropriate, and that there should be thresholds to decide on punishments for violations.

In some cases, there can be natural alcohol content in the human body, or alcohol content after eating certain food, such as fruit. As such, delegates have called for the total ban to be reconsidered.

A health ministry representative said people should not be too concerned about "natural alcohol content" as such cases are very rare, and are only encountered in certain people with certain conditions, and the level of alcohol produced is too small anyway.

In such cases, blood tests can be performed to confirm an accurate blood alcohol reading.

"Once there has been opinions from the WHO and experts on naturally-produced alcohol content, we can have proposals or adjustments," the representative said.

The zero-tolerance alcohol policy for car drivers had already existed in the 2008 Law on Road Traffic.

The policy has been retained even in the Law on Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Alcoholic Beverages, which went into effect in 2019.

In November 2023, when the National Assembly discussed the Law on Road Traffic Safety, the policy had already sparked controversies.

Delegates said such a zero-tolerance policy was "too tough and not appropriate for the culture, traditions and habits of certain segments of the Vietnamese population, affecting socio-economic development in several localities."

Delegate Pham Duc An, chairman of the board of members of Agribank, said an appropriate alcohol level threshold in the blood and the breath should be looked into.

"It is not necessary to find any level of alcohol. Laws in other countries in general all have certain ratios, and we should also look into that," he said.

Pham Nhu Hiep, director of the Hue Central Hospital, said a zero-tolerance policy might not be feasible.

"I wonder about cases when people drink at night, and when they go to work the next morning and the blood alcohol content is still there, they still get fined," he said.

The draft for the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety is expected to be passed in a parliament session in mid-2024.