More than 3,000 motorists across the nation were caught driving under the influence of alcohol last weekend, including 435 drunken drivers.

The citations and arrests were made during the first weekend of a two-month campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of combining alcohol and driving, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

Ministry officials said yesterday that 3,167 drivers were caught on Saturday and Sunday, with 435 detained with a blood alcohol content of at least 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. Some were detained with much higher alcohol content. China's legal limit is 0.08.

As part of the crackdown, larger police forces are patrolling bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues in Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei and Guangdong.

Guangzhou police caught 101 drivers under the influence on the first night of the campaign.

In Beijing, some restaurants are posting notices on walls and on tables to remind motorists about their responsibility on the road.

"Usually if a group of guests come by in a car, the driver won't drink. If he does, we will remind him," said a waitress surnamed Cui from Longfuyuan restaurant in Beijing.

Fewer drivers are drinking alcohol nowadays, especially this week since many know about the campaign, she said.

Wu Yuliang, commissar of Guanganmen traffic police team, said some drivers think a glass of beer is not a problem. After a breathalyzer test, however, their alcohol content registers more than 20mg per 100 ml, which is classified as driving under the influence of alcohol.

"We all know driving after drinking is not right, but on some occasions it seems unavoidable," said Xu Yang, a white collar worker in his 30s from Beijing, who admitted that he used to drive after drinking.

"I have to drink when having dinner with my customers," he said, "or else it is difficult to get contracts signed."

Xu said after hearing about some drunken driving accidents recently, he is trying to avoid driving to restaurants.

In Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, restaurant managers and storeowners said they have suffered declines in profit during the campaign.

Minghao cigarette and alcohol retail store had recorded a 10-percent drop in alcohol sales since Aug 15, with the situation expected to worsen in the coming days, said the store owner surnamed Lin.


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