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For a Utah Legislature that has stressed the importance of religious liberties and the First Amendment protections guaranteeing the right to practice one's faith, here's a religious practice that lawmakers failed to consider.

The passage of HB155, which would lower the blood alcohol limit to 0.05 to legally drive, has some priests worried they may be in jeopardy by fulfilling their holy requirements.

The Rev. Mario Giannopoulos of the Greek Orthodox Church in Ogden points out that when communion is administered during Holy Liturgy for the Greeks and Mass for the Roman Catholics, the priest is required to drink the wine left in the chalice after it has been administered to the parishioners.

The reason is the wine has been consecrated and, therefore, is considered to be the blood of Christ. It would be sacrilege to those believers to pour it down the drain.

Giannopoulos says it typically is the equivalent of a glass-and-a-half of wine that would be served in a restaurant. But he also is required to fast from the night before so the body and blood of Christ is not mixed with secular food, meaning he drinks the wine on an empty stomach.

Often, after the service, he is called to a hospital to minister to a sick or dying parishioner and must get in his car and drive there.

"I have never felt impaired, but I believe I could be over the 0.05 limit when I'm required to drive to a hospital," he said.

The Catholic priests also must finish the wine in the chalice during their Mass, but they no longer have the fasting requirement. Also, in many churches, the priest is assisted by a deacon who can share the wine. But a priest in a smaller parish without an assistant could run into the same problem outlined by Giannopoulos.

Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, the sponsor of HB155, said that issue was never brought to his attention as the bill moved through the legislative process. He understands the reasons the priests must consume the wine during their religious rites, but he doubts they would be over the 0.05 limit.

The Cleveland Clinic, Thurston says, has a website that calculates your blood alcohol level given the percentage of alcohol in the drink and the number of ounces consumed. A six-ounce glass of wine for someone weighing 145 pounds would, after waiting an hour, register at just under 0.02, he said. Though he added: "It never is a good idea to drink and drive."

The good old days • While the Legislature was dealing with a series of alcohol-related bills this session, the Utah Foundation found in its archives a study on Utah alcohol laws and reform efforts in 1949. It seems the tinkering to make things better never stops.

During the campaign for governor in 1948 between Democratic incumbent Herbert Maw and Republican challenger J. Bracken Lee, the management of Utah's state liquor monopoly was a major issue.

At one time, the liquor agency employed 70 investigators whose job was to enforce laws against public drunkenness and drunken driving. Lee won the election and, as soon as he took office, he fired them all and turned that responsibility over to local law enforcement.

Years earlier, when Lee was mayor of Price, he resented state agents coming to his town to enforce drinking and gambling laws rather than letting the local cops set the enforcement standards. One time when two state agents raided a bar in Price, Lee had them arrested and thrown in jail.

They just don't make politicians like they used to.

Another tidbit • Back when Lee was governor, the state markup on wine was 45 percent and on distilled spirits 55 percent. HB422 that just passed the Legislature raises the markup in state liquor stores to 88 percent.

Big Brother at your service• If Utah's liquor laws aren't confusing enough for tourists coming to the state, consider what they must think when they review their monthly credit card statement after visiting.The alcohol purchases show up on their statement as "Government Services." —