Alcohol and the Highway Code, wine consumption falls, but it's boom for breathalyzer searches

The media “can can” about the reform of the Highway Code, with the new and harsher penalties provided for those found driving with a blood alcohol level above 0.8 (while up to 0.5 there are no penalties, as there were before the reform, we reiterate again, as we wrote here), on the one hand is penalizing wine consumption, but on the other it is boosting interest in breathalyzers, a tool destined to become a faithful companion, like any smartphone, for those who, with a little common sense, do not want to give up the convivial pleasure of wine with meals (as we wrote here), but also want to get back behind the wheel afterwards in safety, for themselves and others, and without risking penalties. And according to the website QualeScegliere.it, a portal created to simplify the choice of purchase by testing, analyzing and comparing products on the market, since the second week of December (when the new Highway Code came into force, precisely), interest in breathalyzers on the portal has grown abruptly, with a 325% increase over the previous week. The trend continued with a further increase of 56% in the third week and +125% in the fourth week of December. In the first week of January, interest also grew further with +29% over the previous seven days. Searches, the portal explains, are predominantly male (78% of users) and come largely from northern Italian regions: Lombardy (26%), Emilia-Romagna (19%) and Veneto (17%). The most interested age groups are 45-54-year-olds (37%), followed by 25-34-year-olds (17%). And if, as the research explains, there are all kinds of breathalyzers, from those costing a few tens of euros to those costing a few hundred, which are more advanced, and which even connect to the smartphone, more and more clubs and wineries are equipping themselves with them, to make them available to tourists.
Like, for example, Tenute del Cerro, owned by the Unipol Group, which will make the breathalyzer “available to guests at all of the group's estates - Fattoria del Cerro in Montepulciano, Colpetrone in Montefalco, La Poderina in Montalcino, Tenuta di Monterufoli and Tenuta di Montecorona in Umbertide - facilities that regularly host tasting events and tastings of the wines produced there. The tool will also be available to customers at Antica Chiusina restaurants in Villa Grazianella and La Miniera in Monterufoli”, a note explains. “The Tenute del Cerro Group has always promoted conscious and responsible drinking”, stresses Antonio Donato, the group’s managing director. “With the introduction of breathalyzers in our facilities, we want to offer an additional service that protects our guests and encourages them to enjoy the experience of tasting in safety. This gesture is a clear signal: wine culture should never be separated from respect for the rules and responsibility towards oneself and others. We are convinced that self-control and awareness can make a difference.” “Equipping tasting venues with alcohol testing devices is a step forward in consumer awareness,” explain Tenute del Cerro, ”and a virtuous example of how wineries can actively contribute to road risk prevention. The use of the breathalyzer will be performed exclusively at the request of visitors, who will be able to take the test with the utmost respect for privacy. Should the results indicate values above the legal limits, Tenute del Cerro will provide them with all the necessary support, guaranteeing assistance and safety without compromise”.