LETTERS: INCREASED VIGILANCE AGAINST DWI

To the editor:

Thank you for supporting law enforcement efforts to enforce existing laws regarding drinking and driving, as well as the rationale for reducing the legal blood alcohol content for driving undr the influence. In reviewing local police reports published in the Southeast Missourian, DWI arrests totaled 71 in the months of October and November 1998. Arrests for DWI during the same period in 1997 totaled 29, which suggests the effectiveness of increased vigilance on the part of the Cape Girardeau Police Department.

As demonstrated in Illinois, reducing the legal blood alcohol content will significantly reduce alcohol-related traffic accidents and fatalities, by reinforcing the concept of responsible use of alcohol. State Rep. Mary Kasten is to be commended for recognizing the value of human life and voicing her support for lowering the BAC to 0.08 percent in Missouri.

JIM MAGINEL

Community 2000 Support Center

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau