Responsibility, Paternalism and Alcohol Interlocks

Public Health Ethics 5 (2):116-127 (2012)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Drink driving causes great suffering and material destruction. The alcohol interlock promises to eradicate this problem by technological design. Traditional counter-measures to drink driving such as policing and punishment and information campaigns have proven insufficient. Extensive policing is expensive and intrusive. Severe punishment is disproportionate to the risks created in most single cases. If the interlock becomes inexpensive and convenient enough, and if there are no convincing moral objections to the device, it may prove the only feasible as well as the only justifiable solution to the problem of drink driving. A policy of universal alcohol interlocks, in all cars, has been proposed by several political parties in Sweden and is supported by the National Road Administration and the 2006 Alcohol Interlock Commission. This article assesses two possible moral objections to a policy of universal interlocks: (i) that it displaces the responsibility of individual drivers and (ii) that it constitutes a paternalistic interference with drivers. The first objection is found unconvincing, while the second has only limited bite and may be neutralized if paternalism is accepted for the sake of greater net liberty. Given the expected technological development, the proposed policy seems a commendable health promotion measure for the near future

Similar books and articles

Paternalism in the neonatal intensive care unit.Carson Strong - 1984 - Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 5 (1).
Paternalism.Kalle Grill - 2011 - In Ruth Chadwick (ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics. Academic Press.
Heavy Drinking on Campus and University Paternalism.Rick Momeyer - 2000 - International Journal of Applied Philosophy 14 (2):147-151.
The Legalization of Drugs. [REVIEW]Kalle Grill - 2007 - Theoria 73 (4):248-255.
The normative core of paternalism.Kalle Grill - 2007 - Res Publica 13 (4):441-458.
Paternalism and democracy.Marion Smiley - 1989 - Journal of Value Inquiry 23 (4):299-318.
Paternalism and corporate responsibility.David Crossley - 1999 - Journal of Business Ethics 21 (4):291 - 302.

Analytics

Added to PP
2010-01-17

Downloads
731 (#19,873)

6 months
83 (#45,418)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author Profiles

Kalle Grill
Umeå University
Jessica Fahlquist
Uppsala University

References found in this work

The normative core of paternalism.Kalle Grill - 2007 - Res Publica 13 (4):441-458.
Taking Risks, Assessing Responsibility.Gerald Dworkin - 1981 - Hastings Center Report 11 (5):26-31.
Vehicles and Crashes.Douglas Husak - 2004 - Social Theory and Practice 30 (3):351-370.
Is Drunk Driving a Serious Offense?Douglas N. Husak - 1994 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 23 (1):52-73.
Vehicles and Crashes.Douglas Husak - 2004 - Social Theory and Practice 30 (3):351-370.

Add more references