TULSA, OK \u2013 [March 15, 2017] \u2013\u00a0Local law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma will be working to keep St. Patrick\u2019s Day holiday celebrations safe for all by cracking-down on violations of state alcohol laws. The Tulsa Health Department\u2019s Regional Prevention Coordinator (RPC) program is partnering with the Tulsa Police Department to reduce alcohol offenses, including DUIs.<\/p>\n
Strategies include sobriety checks, bar checks, alcohol risk assessments to determine if patrons\u2019 identification is checked, if there is service to someone who is intoxicated, or if patrons are overserved, enforcing social host laws, in addition to other enforcement activities aimed at preventing needless death and injury associated with alcohol abuse.<\/p>\n
These heightened enforcement activities will be in place throughout the St. Patrick\u2019s Day holiday period.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor many Americans, celebrating St. Patrick\u2019s Day includes green alcohol, green clothing, parades, and local fares,\u201d said Marianne Long, Tulsa Health Department\u2019s RPC program manager. \u201cIt is also a time when we see increased negative consequences resulting from alcohol abuse along with a spike in underage drinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the Office of Highway Safety (OHSO), there were 86 alcohol\/drug related crashes which resulted in 32 injuries and 2 deaths across the state of Oklahoma in 2015 during the St. Patrick\u2019s Day holiday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderage drinking is not a harmless rite of passage; there are far-reaching consequences. In addition to alcohol related crashes, there are long-term consequences such as injuries to both the people who consume alcohol those who do not, property damage, arrests, risk to community safety and even death,\u201d said Long. \u201cThese negative consequences are absolutely preventable, which is why we are working together as a community to ensure a safe holiday celebration for all.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information regarding planned enforcement efforts and how you can be part of a community solution to prevent underage drinking, please contact Marianne Long at 918-595-4274.<\/p>\n
Support and community resources are provided by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office.<\/p>\n
Regional Prevention Coordinators
\nRegional Prevention Coordinators is a grant funded program established to reduce the rates for underage drinking, adult binge drinking, and the non-medical use of painkillers within Tulsa County.\u00a0 The work of RPC is concentrated on population-level change in Tulsa County by assisting communities in determining the substance abuse problems affecting their constituents and the most effective strategies to address these problems. RPC works with local coalitions and stakeholders to gather data, track trends, and provide training and technical assistance within the community.\u00a0 Additionally, RPC provides support for town hall meetings and assists with local alcohol compliance operations. For more information regarding the RPC program at the Tulsa Health Department, please visit\u00a0www.tulsa-health.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TULSA, OK \u2013 [March 15, 2017] \u2013\u00a0Local law enforcement agencies across Oklahoma will be working to keep St. Patrick\u2019s Day holiday celebrations safe for all by cracking-down on violations of state alcohol laws. The Tulsa Health Department\u2019s Regional Prevention Coordinator (RPC) program is partnering with the Tulsa Police Department to reduce alcohol offenses, including DUIs. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n