Public Health and Safety Experts Train Law Enforcement in Underage Drinking Interventions, Breaking Up Underage Drinking Parties

DALLAS, Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Statewide public health experts Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth (TxSDY) this week hosted a training program for law enforcement from across the state, on how to safely and effectively conduct underage drinking interventions. The training provides specific strategies for breaking up parties where underage drinking is occurring, a main source for underage alcohol access and dangerous binge drinking. Focused on providing practical tactics, the program is specifically designed for law enforcement to reduce underage drinking and its consequences, including intoxicated driving.

The event was co-hosted by the Texoma HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area); Recovery Resource Council; Prevention Resource Center Region 3, serving the North Texas area; and North High Plains' HEARD (Helping Every Adolescent Reach Their Dreams) Coalition.

"Law enforcement plays a critical role in reducing underage drinking," said Nicole Holt, CEO of Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth. "This training will help provide tools they can use to continue to ensure our communities are protected. For every party where underage drinking is happening ? but stopped ? dozens of lives can be changed and in some cases, saved."

With the start of the school year, football and Greek pledge season, high school and college students are increasingly faced with situations that are high-risk for underage drinking. Both high school and college students report parties as the easiest and most common places for accessing alcohol. Parties are also the setting in which binge drinking is most likely to occur, putting youth at even greater risk for harm. Within this context, it is imperative that law enforcement have every possible tool for protecting youth.

Alcohol is the most commonly used substance among youth. According to the Texas School Survey of Drug and Alcohol Use, more than half of 7^th-12^th graders have used alcohol and 47% reported drinking in the last month, which is notably higher than the national rate of 30%. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, nearly 7% of drivers in alcohol-related fatal crashes were underage. In total, statewide, there were more than 900 fatal DUI crashes resulting in more than 1,000 deaths last year.

About Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth

Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth is the state's leading organization working to end underage alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use. More information can be found at http://txsdy.org.

SOURCE Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth