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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Traffic safety professionals
in the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area were familiar with the
many national studies and programs concerning the two-fold problem
of underage drinking and underage impaired driving—a problem
affecting the youth of Omaha and the surrounding counties. Through
the years, many recommendations had been made for addressing
the problem in Omaha, but these recommendations were made without
prior knowledge of the unique situations and issues involving
Omaha's youth, resulting in less effective approaches to the
problem.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of Project
Extra Mile was to reduce alcohol-related crashes, fatalities,
and injuries among the driving youth of the Omaha metropolitan
area. The project was conceived as a three-phase approach to
the problem:
- Research the problem
- Develop an Action Plan
- Implement education,
enforcement and advocacy initiatives
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
In 1995, concerned
citizens in the Omaha area created a coalition of organizations
and individuals committed to addressing the problems of underage
drinking and impaired driving among youth. This coalition developed
what became known as Project Extra Mile, whose membership approached
the problem systematically through a three-phased strategy. The
first phase of this strategy was to conduct the research necessary
to arm the coalition with data specific to the Omaha metropolitan
area. During the first phase, several key activities were completed:
- A thorough review of
the current local and state laws and regulations was conducted
- Members of the coalition
reviewed existing data on traffic safety and youth alcohol use
for the metropolitan area. Research included juvenile traffic
crash involvement, deaths and injuries associated with underage
alcohol consumption, environmental risk factors, adults who provide
or procure alcohol for minors, consequences for use, alcohol
marketing, recreation and social opportunities, role modeling,
schools, neighborhood associations, media, child service agencies,
law enforcement, drug prevention organizations and alcohol licenses
and sales
- A survey was developed
to measure activities and attitudes surrounding youth alcohol
use. The survey was conducted with 420 youth under age 21 and
with 423 adults. Information derived from the surveys closely
paralleled other data: that youth were drinking in large numbers
(57 percent of all respondents, 61 percent of 15-17 year-old
respondents, 76 percent of 18-20 year-old respondents). Among
youth who reported consuming alcohol, 67 percent admitted to
binge drinking (five or more drinks at a time). Youth respondents
indicated that they would be motivated to stop drinking if they
believed they would injure or kill themselves or others in a
crash, if they would be caught by police, or if they would lose
their driving privileges. Participation in alcohol-free activities
was also a motivating factor for abstinence
- Fourteen focus groups
were conducted with youth, parents, law enforcement agencies,
retail clerks, and prosecutor agencies. Seven focus groups were
conducted for youth in three age groups from 12- to 20-years-old.
During the focus groups, youth gave distinct indication of the
need for adult guidance and positive role models. They also were
emphatic about the need for clear, consistent messages with consequences
for unacceptable behavior not only for youth, but also for adults
who provide alcohol and businesses selling alcohol to minors
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