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New State Laws Address Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking

In July, new laws passed by state legislatures this year will go into effect that address drunk driving and underage drinking. We supported the passage of these laws according to our drunk driving and underage drinking policy positions and applaud these states for making important strides to reduce fatalities and injuries on our nation’s roadways and prevent underage drinking. However, a law is only as effective as its implementation and enforcement. We know that offender monitoring and supervision along with screening, assessment and treatment are critical to changing behavior among drunk drivers. That’s why we work with a host of criminal justice practitioners to ensure judges, prosecutors, probation and parole officers and law enforcement officials are aware of the laws and understand how they are most effectively implemented to prevent recidivism.

Drunk Driving

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility supported new laws in 9 states. These new laws will go into effect to crack down on drunk driving in July:

Ignition Interlock Devices

  •  All DUI offenders, including first offenders, will be required to install an ignition interlock device in three states (Alabama, Indiana and Mississippi).
  • Florida: Repeat offenders will be required to install an ignition interlock device, and first offenders have the option to install an ignition interlock. Repeat offenders will also have an option to participate in a 24/7 sobriety program.

Treatment

  • Arizona: Anyone involved in a crash involving injury or death and who fails to stop or leaves the scene, where alcohol was involved, will be required to have an alcohol/drug screening as a condition of license reinstatement.
  • Tennessee: 2nd or 3rd DUI offenders will be required, as a condition of probation, to participate in an inpatient or intensive outpatient substance abuse treatment program following a clinical substance abuse assessment.

24/7 Sobriety Program

  • Idaho and Wyoming have established new 24/7 sobriety programs for repeat offenders.

Enhanced Penalties

  • Virginia: The new law eliminates the current probation restrictions for a 4th or subsequent DUI within 10 years to allow for more judicial discretion on the length of probation period.

Underage Drinking

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility supported new laws in 2 states. These new laws will go into effect to crack down on underage drinking starting in July:

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law

  • Iowa: The new law adds “consumption” to underage drinking law, which currently only includes purchase or attempt to purchase.

Social Host

  • South Dakota: Adults will be prohibited from permitting the underage consumption of alcoholic beverages on their premises.

Good Samaritan

  • Georgia’s Good Samaritan law will go into effect in July, which will grant limited immunity to people under 21 seeking emergency medical assistance on behalf of another person due to alcohol overconsumption.

Other laws will also go into effect later in the year, so stay tuned! Follow @goFAAR for news and updates. For more information on the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility’s drunk driving policies, please visit https://www.responsibility.org/drunk-driving/advancing-effective-solutions-eliminate-drunk-driving and information on underage drinking policies, please visit https://www.responsibility.org/underage-drinking/public-policy.

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