A new California law that takes effect Jan. 1 will authorize alcohol manufacturers and licensed sellers to provide free or discounted rides to ensure drinkers get home safely, The Sacramento Bee reports.
The bill – AB-711 – passed unanimously with support from major beer companies and ride-share app Lyft. It allows manufacturers to provide the rides through vouchers, codes, or other delivery methods, but restricts them from offering them as incentives to buy a company's product.
Assemblyman Evan Low introduced the measure.
"It became apparent to me for example during the Super Bowl back in Santa Clara County—and we wanted to ensure the public safety at hand," Low said.
"AB-711 offers another tool to help beer manufacturers ensure consumers drink responsibly," said Low in a statement on his website.
The ride-service is offered in forty-four states and the District of Columbia.
Alcohol Justice, an alcohol watchdog group, says the new law promotes the overconsumption of alcohol.
"The idea that drunk driving is the only harm from alcohol is a real misunderstanding of alcohol harm," Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, the organization's research manager, told the Bee.