A recent change in the law means that drink driving is now regarded as a serious offence. Previously drink driving was often only punished if the driver had an accident, but now anything more than 20mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood is over the limit - and in 2011 the potential penalties for drink driving offences were made more severe.
The current laws state that having blood alcohol levels of 20mg to 80mg while driving can result in a CNY1,000 minimum fine and up to three months' suspension of licence, while more than 80mg of alcohol in the blood is punishable by a jail term, five years' suspension of licence (with a risk of losing it permanently), and a CNY500-2,000 fine.