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From: "Chuck Mauthe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Politech'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: big brother is now talking to your doctor Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2004 15:26:44 -0400
original is at http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/9345310.htm?1c
Posted on Sun, Aug. 08, 2004 Fessing up to doctor costs drinker his license
A Lebanon County man admitted that he drank a 6-pack a day. A Pa. law required PennDot to be alerted.
By Patrick Kerkstra Inquirer Staff Writer
Like most people, Keith Emerich thought he could tell a doctor anything.
So the 44-year-old print-shop pressman answered honestly when asked during an office visit whether he drank alcohol. Yes, he said, six to 10 Budweisers a day.
That candor cost Emerich, of Lebanon, Pa., his driver's license.
In a strict reading of a Pennsylvania law that requires physicians to report patients with conditions that might "impair the ability to control and safely operate" a vehicle, the doctor notified the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation of Emerich's appetite for brew.
With nothing more to go on than two check marks on a one-page questionnaire, PennDot revoked Emerich's license indefinitely.
Emerich thought it was a joke when the notice arrived in the mail last April Fool's Day. His driving record was pristine since a conviction for driving under the influence 23 years ago, and he said he does not mix drinking and driving.
"What I do in the privacy of my home is none of PennDot's business," said Emerich, who is appealing the agency's decision in Lebanon County Court. A ruling is expected within weeks.
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