Delaware Gets $360,000 to Combat Underage Drinking
July 3, 2002
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The State of Delaware will receive $360,000 to continue efforts to combat underage drinking Senator Joe Biden announced today. The money, which comes from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, will be used by the Delaware Department of Public Safety - Office of Highway Safety, to improve law enforcement efforts against selling alcohol to minors and for programs to prevent alcohol use by minors.
“The problem of underage drinking continues to plague our nation's young people and puts all our citizens at risk,” said Biden. “This funding will help combat drunk driving and underage drinking in Delaware by improving enforcement of underage drinking laws and ensuring that businesses and youth know about these laws and the penalties for violations.”
According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime. Each year, more than 16,000 people are killed and more than 500,000 people are injured in alcohol-related car crashes in the United States. Preliminary research for 2000, conducted by MADD, shows that alcohol-related crashes cost the public an estimated $114.7 billion annually, including an estimated $63.9 billion being lost in quality of life due to these crashes.
The Office of Highway Safety reports that in 2000 there were 122 fatal car crashes in Delaware, resulting in 131 deaths. Fifty-seven of the fatal crashes, or 47%, were alcohol related. While the Delaware Office of Highway Safety does not keep statistics by exact age, youthful drivers (under 25 years of age) accounted for 24% of drivers in all crashes in 2000 and 29% of drivers in fatal crashes. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities for this age group (driver, passenger, bicyclist, or pedestrian) accounted for 33% of all alcohol-related traffic fatalities, and 15% of all traffic fatalities.
“Underage drinking is a serious problem with dangerous, and sometimes deadly consequences. We must do whatever we can to start changing attitudes and behaviors at schools and on campuses nationwide before another young student becomes another sad statistic,” said Biden.
Enforcing Underage Drinking Program funds can be used for:
• statewide law enforcement and prosecution efforts that target establishments suspected of consistently selling alcohol to minors;
• public advertising campaigns to educate businesses and youth about the prohibitions against illegal alcohol sales and purchases and the sanctions for violations; and
• other innovative programs to prevent and combat underage drinking.
