FARMINGTON – If you’re under 21 and you’re thinking of drinking alcohol, you may want to think again. That goes the same for those who are old enough to buy alcohol and furnish it to minors or drive under the influence.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is taking a tougher stance against offenders to make the area a safer community, Deputy Aaron Turcotte said.
The department plans to work with other law enforcement agencies as well as teenagers, parents and store owners to accomplish that. The effort is funded by two grants.
Turcotte said the plans are to collect data using a new software program to identify hot spots for parties for underage drinking and work with others to set up checkpoints to snag those who get behind the wheel while under the influence.
Studies show that youths who begin drinking at age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol abuse than those who wait until they’re 21, Turcotte said
Alcohol plays a major role in teenage injuries and fatalities, he said, and he plans to reach out to parents as well as schools to lower the incidents.
“Alcohol-related traffic crashes are the leading cause of death and disability among teenagers,” the deputy said.
When people drink they also tend to commit crimes, he said, including drunken driving, criminal mischief, and physical and sexual assaults.
In Franklin County, drinking and driving still remains one of the toughest challenges faced by law enforcement, he said.
The Sheriff’s Department saw a 64 percent increase in alcohol-related accidents last year, Turcotte said.
If these juveniles and minors can be prevented from possessing alcohol, chances are someone will be prevented from driving drunk after a party, he said.
Franklin County law enforcers are going to investigate every incident of minors and alcohol to find out who is furnishing the alcohol, he said.
The Sheriff’s Department has received two grants to help curb underage drinking and drinking and driving, Turcotte said.
“One of the biggest challenges we face in law enforcement is not having manpower to safely combat and disperse large parties where underage drinking is occurring,” he said.
A Strategic Underage Drinking grant for $7,500 from the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and a $3,000 OUI grant from the National Highway Safety Administration and Maine Bureau for Highway Safety will help fund extra patrols.
Parents need to find out where their children are going and where they’ve been, set rules, and teach them how to have fun without drinking, Turcotte said.
“They need to expect them to avoid risky situations and talk to them about drinking,” he said.
If people suspect or know a party is going to take place, they are asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (800) 773-2680. That call may save a life, Turcotte said.
Four parties have been broken up this summer, he said, with the number of participants ranging from six to 20 people.
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