Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL)
In January
2010 Mountain View Prevention Services received word from OASAS
Commissioner, Karen Carpenter-Palumbo that the proposal we submitted in
response to the 2009 EUDL Prevention, Community and Law Enforcement
Partnership RFP was funded at $20,000 for this year.
OASAS
administers the federally funded Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, EUDL Block Grant. This block grant supports
states with funding to:
v
Develop
comprehensive and coordinated initiatives to enforce state laws that
prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages to individuals under 21 years
of age; and
v
Support
strategies that prevent the purchase or consumption of alcoholic
beverages by individuals under 21 years of age.
As a
result of this grant, MVPS is able to partner with local law enforcement
to support their efforts in regards to underage drinking enforcement
details. MVPS will provide community education through the
implementation of the Tipline, parent information sessions, a training
session for law enforcement on the prevention and dispersal of underage
drinking parties and many other events.
Each year
approximately 6,000 youth die from an underage drinking related
incident, which is why it is important to encourage young people that it
is not okay or all right for them to drink alcohol.
Research indicates that a
person's brain continues to develop well into his or her early to
mid-twenties. Because critical judgment and decision-making skills are
still not fully developed in teens, young people that drink place
themselves in high-risk situations which can lead to teen pregnancy, car
accidents, alcohol poisoning, violence and other serious health issues.
MVPS
partnered with Lewis County school districts in spring 2009 to
administer the Prevention Needs Assessment survey to all Lewis County
middle and high school age students, grades 6 through 12. MVPS last
surveyed our youth population in 2006. In comparing the 2009 and 2006
data, it is apparent at all age levels that underage drinking continues
to be a popular pastime for our youth.
It is
MVPS’ intent to work with both community partners and local law
enforcement to begin to change attitudes towards and the acceptance of
underage drinking in Lewis County.
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