Legislation to prohibit carrying a gun while drunk

Don’t drink and drive may soon expand to “don’t drink and carry a weapon.”
City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., Chair of the Public Safety Committee, joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg, State Senator Jeffery Klein and Assemblymemeber Jose Peralta last week to announce the introduction of legislation that would make it illegal to carry a gun while intoxicated in New York State.
The measure uses the same legal standard as driving while intoxicated to prohibit carrying a gun while drunk.
Under the state bill, carrying a gun while under the influence of alcohol or drugs would be a class-A misdemeanor punishable by one year in jail and a $10,000 fine. Under state law, a person is intoxicated if his blood alcohol content is over .08 percent. Also, under the law, common-sense factors would be considered evidence of impairment, such as staggering, slurred speech, and smell of alcohol.
“Guns and alcohol are a dangerous combination. If you have an illegal gun, you’ll go straight to jail. If you have a carrying permit for a gun and you’re under the influence, unlike your American Express card, don’t leave home with it,” Vallone said