And publicans and police locally have been speaking out about the impact it has had.
Owner of the Hightae Inn Mark Cuthberston said he has had to adapt his business following the law change which saw the legal blood alcohol limit nearly halved.
He said: “There was an initial drop-off in business last December right after the new laws, with people not bothering to go out at all probably due to confusion, fear etc.”
He added: “As most people drive to eat with us here, we’ve had to change our approach and we now offer a specific non-alcohol drinks menu.
“There’s a wee bit of soft-education involved as well, trying to help eaters and guests calculate alcohol units in different drinks.
“Some folk genuinely think I’m joking – an Australian holidaymaker had been touring Scotland for three weeks and we were the first ones to mention this.”
Meanwhile, over the last year Dumfries and Galloway recorded the highest fall in drink driving offences with a 56.4 per cent drop.
Inspector Neil Hewitson, of the Roads Policing Unit, said: “These figures are certainly a welcome sight in Dumfries and Galloway.”
Urging caution over the festive period, he added: “We would urge all motorists to be sensible about their drinking.
“They should consider how much they have had to drink the night before and ensure they have left themselves plenty of time before driving the next day.
