Thank you for the protection
The Watauga County Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Boone Police Department for all its efforts to reduce underage drinking in Watauga County.
Not only does the Boone PD enforce the laws that keep our community safe, they also go above and beyond in their partnership with the collaborative by communicating regularly regarding community trends and hot spots, following up on alcohol purchase surveys conducted through our preventing underage drinking initiative, providing annual data for the creation of GIS maps and attending all community meetings and WCSAPC subcommittee meetings.
During the weekend of Jan. 20-22, Boone Police Department reported 34 ALE violations that cited 28 individuals. This is an unusually high number, and the reporting officer said that almost all of the calls involved underage drinking. These alcohol-related calls kept on-shift officers very busy and even placed them in high-risk situations. One of the calls was a fight in progress at a local bar with the involved parties being identified as intoxicated and aggressive students, some of whom had to be chased and restrained.
Underage drinking is a serious and often underestimated concern in our community. Because alcohol is a legal substance, many parents, youths and community members believe that it is not harmful for people younger than the age of 21 to consume it.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, youth who start drinking younger than 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after 21 years.
According to a reporting officer, “We have provided a lot of education and awareness. Now, we have to increase enforcement to keep our residents safe.”
Thank you again Boone Police Department for going the extra mile.
Angela Hagaman and Hollie Storie, chairwomen of the Watauga County Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative
Not only does the Boone PD enforce the laws that keep our community safe, they also go above and beyond in their partnership with the collaborative by communicating regularly regarding community trends and hot spots, following up on alcohol purchase surveys conducted through our preventing underage drinking initiative, providing annual data for the creation of GIS maps and attending all community meetings and WCSAPC subcommittee meetings.
During the weekend of Jan. 20-22, Boone Police Department reported 34 ALE violations that cited 28 individuals. This is an unusually high number, and the reporting officer said that almost all of the calls involved underage drinking. These alcohol-related calls kept on-shift officers very busy and even placed them in high-risk situations. One of the calls was a fight in progress at a local bar with the involved parties being identified as intoxicated and aggressive students, some of whom had to be chased and restrained.
Underage drinking is a serious and often underestimated concern in our community. Because alcohol is a legal substance, many parents, youths and community members believe that it is not harmful for people younger than the age of 21 to consume it.
However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, youth who start drinking younger than 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse later in life than those who begin drinking at or after 21 years.
According to a reporting officer, “We have provided a lot of education and awareness. Now, we have to increase enforcement to keep our residents safe.”
Thank you again Boone Police Department for going the extra mile.
Angela Hagaman and Hollie Storie, chairwomen of the Watauga County Substance Abuse Prevention Collaborative