Senior police officers admitted this week they are pushing for a cut in the drink-drive limit in the wake of evidence that the problem is worsening.
A spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) told thePublican.com it was in favour of a reduction, contradicting assurances earlier this month that a cut was not on the agenda.
"We are in talks about changing the limit from 80mg to 50mg in 100ml of blood and bringing the UK in line with other European countries," the spokesman said.
"We're certainly not at the White Paper stage or anything like that. If we were to bring in the changes, the earliest it would apply would be in about a year's time."
The UK, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg are the only European countries that still have an 80mg limit despite recommendations from the European Commission to lower it to 50mg across all member states.
The 50mg limit equates to just one pint of beer and publicans fear it would encourage people to stay at home rather than drive to the pub.
Andrew Stockdale, who runs the Spacey Houses pub in Harrogate, Yorkshire, said his evening trade would be slashed in half if the new measures were introduced.
"A lot of our customers come in here and have a drink on the way home," Mr Stockdale said. "A cut would be very bad news for us. There needs to be better public transport in rural areas, especially in the evening."
As well as a cut in the drink-drive limit, the ACPO is also campaigning for tougher powers to allow the police to breathalyse drivers randomly - something they are not allowed to do at present.
Drink-driving offences over Christmas and New Year rose to eight per cent - an increase of nearly one per cent on the year before and the biggest rise for five years.
But the trade argues that it is a hardcore of offenders who cause the problem and that cutting the limit would not deter them. It is pushing for tougher enforcement of the current law instead.
A recent survey carried out by Enterprise Inns found that 86 per cent of licensees felt drink-driving was not a seasonal problem and needed to be targeted all year round.
Instead of lowering the limit, licensees felt there should be higher penalties for offenders, increased police spot checks, more awareness campaigns, free soft drinks for designated drivers and better alcohol education to prevent binge drinking.
Related stories:
Trade fears cut to drink-driving limit after sharp rise in offences (10 January 2002)