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Project
Characteristics |
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Education
Countermeasures
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Program
Areas |
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Alcohol and Other Drugs
Youth
Programs
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Type
of Jurisdiction |
| County |
Targeted
Population |
| Middle
and High School Students |
Jurisdiction
Size |
| 59,946
(as of 7/1/02) |
Funding |
|
402
Funds: $2,336
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Contact |
Lorenzo
Moises
Liquor Control Investigator
Dept. of Liquor Control
4444 Rice Street
Suite 120
Kauai,
HI 96766
(808)
241-6580
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Digest
Listing
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HAWAII
Kauai Liquor Commission
Drunk Busters
(PDF Version)
PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division conducted the
2000 Hawaii Student Alcohol and Other Drug Survey and discovered that
Hawaii’s youth have a drinking problem. Over 20 percent of Hawaii’s 6th graders, almost 50 percent of 8th graders, over 60 percent of
10th graders, and over 70 percent of 12th graders have all used alcohol.
Easy access is probably
the biggest cause of the problem. Alcohol is available everywhere and many
adults condone its use. Retail access does not appear to be the primary
source. March 2004 retail compliance checks indicate only eight percent
non-compliance. Adults purchasing alcohol for minors, which is referred to
as ‘shoulder tap’, appears to be the biggest problem. Recent
enforcement efforts netted quite a few arrests involving adults purchasing
alcohol for minors. Enforcement is hindered because Hawaii does not have a Possession by Consumption law. Minors as well as some
adults are not aware of the criminal penalties for underage drinking and
purchasing alcohol for minors.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Kauai Liquor Commission Drunk Busters' goal is to
decrease minors’ access to alcohol and reduce youth injuries and
fatalities. The project’s objectives are to:
- Educate middle and high school students about the hazards and
criminal penalties associated with underage drinking; and
- Increase enforcement efforts and monitor the results of those
efforts associated with underage drinking.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The Kauai Liquor Commission Drunk Busters project implemented the
following strategies and related activities to achieve its goals:
-
Purchased
twelve Drunk Busters Impairment goggles and twelve
Twilight
Vision goggles to use for their school presentations. The
impairment goggles simulate the effects of intoxication and the
twilight goggles simulate intoxication during night time conditions.
Both goggles simulate .08 - .15 Blood Alcohol Count (BAC).
-
Conducted
presentations to students in 7th to 12th grade classrooms at each public school
on Kauai.
The
presentations included:
-
An 18 minute video entitled, “DUI: Dead in 5 Seconds;”
-
A
PowerPoint presentation and lecture by field personnel on how liquor laws apply
to minors and the consequences of getting caught;
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Interaction between the students and the presenter; and
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An opportunity for students to experience intoxication using simulation
equipment called Drunk Busters impairment goggles. The effects of impairment include reduced alertness, slowed reaction time,
confusion, visual distortion, alteration of depth and distance perception,
reduction of peripheral vision, poor judgment and decision making, double
vision, and lack of muscular coordination.
-
Asked
students to execute portions of a field sobriety test as well as pick up a key
and open a lock
while wearing the impairment goggles to allow students to experience
alcohol’s effect on an individual.
RESULTS
The
Kauai
Liquor Commission Drunk Busters project achieved the following results
since it was first introduced two years ago:
-
Conducted 120 presentations for
2,676 students. The presentation is making minors as well as adults in attendance more
aware of the criminal and civil liabilities connected with alcohol use and abuse.
-
Conducted monthly evaluations and quarterly reports on
the following:
-
Number of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests
versus underage DUI arrests
-
Number of citations issued for prohibition involving
minors (Unfortunately, none of the local law enforcement agencies maintain
statistics for prohibition as a separate item.)
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Achieved the following results from August 2000 to July
2003:
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846 DUI arrests in
Kauai
County (123 underage drivers)
-
984 DUI arrests as of February 2004 (141 underage
drivers)
-
.2 percent decrease in underage DUIs
This
project will be completed on September
30, 2004.
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