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Alcohol involved in 1 in 3 traffic accidents in Cuba


A group of friends share a bottle of rum on the streets of Cuba
A group of friends share a bottle of rum on the streets of Cuba

The data was released by the official media spokesman for the National Directorate of Traffic.

Lt. Col. Teresa Albentosa of Cuba's National Directorate of Traffic (DNT) told the newspaper Juventud Rebelde that alcohol is a factor for every one in three traffic accidents in Cuba.
The disproportionate number (33%) was revealed around the announcement that traffic agents, police, inspectors from the Ministry of Transport and medical personnel are conducting checks with breathalyzers in public from Friday, December 13th until Thursday, the 19th, to catch drivers who have consumed alcohol.
In the U.S., where last year drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs killed 10,322 people, only 7% of all traffic accidents involve alcohol consumption, according to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA.
Operations to control alcohol use this month will also apply in Cuba on December 24, 25 and 30, even though festivities take place almost the entire month .
Lt. Col. Albentosa reported an occurence of 10,561 alchohol related accidents through November 30th--39 more than in the same period the previous year--causing the death of 592 people and injuring 7,476.
The DNT official also made reference to the penalties against drunk drivers, which in Cuba, usually consists of relatively minor fines, and in extreme cases, a suspended or revoked license.
U.S. convictions for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUI) can result in prison sentences of several years and other punitive measures ranging from heavy fines to confiscation of vehicles and license plates.
Some jurisdictions require drivers convicted of DUI to use special plates that are easily distinguishable from regular plates.
The erious problems posed by alcohol consupmption in Cuba were highlighted last June by the British magazine, The Economist.
The publication placed Cuba first among rum consumers per capita in the world, at 4.9 liters per year, and sixth overall among liquor drinkers in general, behind a handful of former Soviet countries that consume more than 7 liters of vodka per person per year.
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    Rolando Cartaya

    Rolando Cartaya graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Havana in 1976. He has been a contributor to the cultural page of Juventud Rebelde, the newspaper of Cuban youth and UPI. He has also served as editor in the Spanish language versions of  "Newsweek," "Discover" and "Motor Trend." He has translated more than 20 books for Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Rolando has been with The Martís since 1989, in various capacities including editor, writer, reporter, and writer-director of the show, Sin Censores ni Censura, translated as, "No Censors or Censorship". On the island, he was vice president of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights.
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