Harrisburg, PA —  State Representative Ron Raymond (R-162/PA), Chairman of the House Liquor Committee; Jonathan Newman, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board; Richard Bisking, President for the Pennsylvania Tavern Association and Trooper Dave Andrascik from the state police department joined Jay Hibbard of The Century Council, a national not-for-profit organization funded by America's leading distillers and committed to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking, to showcase a national public education and awareness campaign at the Capitol today. The national bilingual effort is a response to recent research demonstrating that seven out of ten adults report that they do not know the BAC limit for driving in their own state.

"It is very important that the people of Pennsylvania understand how alcohol affects each one of us differently," agreed Newman. "It is equally important that everyone is aware of the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration limit for drinking and driving which has recently changed from .10 to .08. I encourage everyone to use this incredible resource."

"While the numbers of alcohol-related fatalities have decreased in Pennsylvania since 2001, the numbers are still far too high. Until the number reaches zero, we have a lot of work to do," said Andrascik. "It is imperative to understand how alcohol affects each one of us differently so we can make responsible decisions regarding alcohol."

"Fighting drunk driving is absolutely a community effort and education is the key," said Bisking. "I encourage everyone to take advantage of this invaluable educational tool."

At the heart of the educational campaign is the Blood Alcohol Educator (BAE) CD-ROM, a credit card sized CD-ROM in both Spanish and English that educates the user on how alcohol affects their BAC level. Highlighting the campaign is a colorful van dubbed the Blood Alcohol Educator (BAE) that is traveling the country to distribute the CD-ROMs. In almost five years' time, the project has evolved into a successful national tour. To date, the BAE Van has traveled to 44 states and the District of Columbia — a total of over 200, 000 miles.

The user-friendly vehicle converts into an interactive cyber-café that includes three computer terminals which allow visitors to use the BAE CD-ROM to estimate their BAC level based on sex, weight and the type and number of drinks consumed at the BAE CD-ROM's virtual bar. In addition to reflecting a person's BAC level, the CD-ROM includes a virtual clock that demonstrates how long it will take for an individual's BAC level to return to .00.

"Driving across the country in the BAE van provides us with a personal approach to educating Americans," said Hibbard of The Century Council. "We hope this grassroots educational and awareness campaign will maximize its impact and reduce the distinct awareness gap among Americans of what BAC laws are and how the law affects individuals differently. Additionally, we at The Council encourage everyone to log onto our new Web site — www.b4udrink.org — to download the BAE CD-ROM."