A drinker hearing the words, "Come on, one more beer isn't going to hurt," now has another reason to think twice before drinking that beer and hitting the road.

Beginning today, it will be illegal in Ohio to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher. The previous legal limit was 0.10. The change became effective at midnight.

"What will this change? Not much. We will continue our efforts of intensively focusing on impaired drivers," said Lt. Carl Roark, post commander of the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Ironton post.

However, Roark said the limit change will make prosecuting DUI cases easier if a driver is at or near 0.10.

The legislation that changed the limit was enacted March 31, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site. Ohio is now one of 39 states in the nation with a 0.08 blood alcohol limit. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia are also included.

This change, Roark said, has been coming for several years. The federal government has encouraged states to change the limit just as it encouraged states to change speed limits to 65 in certain areas. Not changing the limits, he said, could cause states to lose some forms of federal funding.

During June, the Ironton post made 31 DUI arrests, Roark said, and 174 people have been arrested overall this year. Lawrence County has had one accident this year involving an impaired driver in which two people were killed.

Lt. Rick Sambro, spokesman for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, emphasized that a person thinking, they can drink until they have a 0.08 blood alcohol level is a false assumption.

The law states that driving under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating drug is illegal, Sambro said. Someone with a low tolerance for alcohol may be highly impaired after only one or two drinks. Even if the person were to have a blood alcohol level lower than 0.08, he or she may still be charged with DUI. The person would simply not be additionally charged with having a blood alcohol level higher than the state's legal limit.

Sambro encouraged members of the public to make responsible choices when they are drinking, such as finding a trustworthy designated driver before drinking begins.