National Drunk Driving Crackdown : 8/15-9/1/2008

Source: MMWR Weekly, 8/8/2008, 57(31);854

In 2006, a total of 13,470 persons died in motor vehicle collisions in which at least one driver had a blood alcohol concentration of >0.08 g/dL, the level at which adults may not legally drive in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. These alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 32% of motor vehicle traffic fatalities in the United States during 2006 (1).

“Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest,” a national safe-driving enforcement campaign coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is scheduled for August 15–September 1, 2008. The campaign combines high-visibility enforcement of laws against alcohol-impaired driving with advertising and publicity to heighten public awareness about the risks of alcohol-impaired driving. A program planner, sample public-service announcements, media tool kits, and program guidance materials are available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/tools-campaignheadquarters.htm. Additional information on preventing motor-vehicle–related injuries is available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/mvsafety.htm.

Reference 1.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts, 2006 data: alcohol-impaired driving. Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; 2008. Available at http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/810801.pdf.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Source: NCADI web site

To recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse, April is designated “Alcohol Awareness Month.” April 8 marks the annual observance of National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD). At locations across the United States, people can be screened—anonymously—to see if their drinking habits may be risky.
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If you suspect that you might have a drinking problem, or you know someone who abuses alcohol, please contact SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686 or find a screening site located near you.

Visit NCADI’s Alcohol Awareness page.
Visit the PIC homepage for suggested resources and links related to Alcohol Awareness Month.