Klein, Crespo Push for Passage of Bills to Combat Sale of Alcohol to Minors Ahead of ‘100 Deadliest Days’ for Teen Drivers
Nearly 400 Traffic Fatalities Expected to Occur During Memorial Day Weekend 2015
New Bills Would Allow Businesses to Confiscate Fake IDs, Require Retailers Who Have Served Minors to Buy and Use ID Scanners, and Strengthen Defense for Retailers that Employ Best Practices to Stop Underage Drinking
State Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Marcos Crespo today renewed their call for the passage of comprehensive legislation known as the “Card Hard Campaign” to combat underage drinking and crackdown on the use of fake IDs across the state. The call comes as the unofficial start to summer kicks off with Memorial Day Weekend and thus begins the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers -- a period running from May to September that sees a significant uptick in the number of car accidents and fatal crashes involving adolescent drivers.
Senator Klein said: “With school winding down and students eager to enjoy their summer vacation, now is not the time to put the brakes on teen safety. Each year, nearly 400 traffic deaths occur over Memorial Day Weekend -- a striking increase over other weekends throughout the month. In an effort to reduce the incidence of underage drinking and take dangerous drivers off the road, my ‘Card Hard’ legislation will create incentives for retailers to use ID scanners and confiscate fake IDs that come across their doors. These common-sense proposals will work to curb teen drinking and hopefully save lives. ”
Assemblyman Crespo said: “Underage drinking poses a serious problem in our communities and holidays have become paramount periods of such behavior. This Memorial Day Weekend will be no exception. Alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers with nearly three quarters of students (72%) having consumed alcohol. Among underage drinkers, 30.8% paid for alcohol the last time they drank. It is obvious that New York needs to do more to eliminate fake IDs as a tool available to our youth for accessing alcohol.”
The NYPD released statistics showing that 1,791 summonses have been issued for sales of alcohol to minors, with a three-fold increase in DWI-related arrests from Memorial Day 2012 to Memorial Day 2013. Data released from Jacobi and North Central Bronx Hospital showed that in both 2012 and 2013, there was an increase in minors admitted to the hospital with alcohol-related health issues on Memorial Day Weekend.
What’s more, underage drinking has serious economic repercussions. According to the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, teen drinking costs New York residents billions of dollars each year -- an astounding $3.1 billion in 2013 alone. Car accidents involving intoxicated teen drivers represented one of the largest costs to New Yorkers that same year, clocking in around $330 million.
Klein and Crespo’s “Card Hard” legislative package targets the use of fake IDs and works to prevent the sale of alcohol to minors. These measures include:
- S.4086 - Strengthens defenses for those retailers that employ best practices, including having and operating an ID scanner, requiring employees to use scanners, holding a valid certificate of completion of a licensed alcohol awareness program and having a clean record with no violations for at least two years.
- S.1544 - Allows businesses to confiscate fake IDs.
- S.4084 - Requires retailers who have served alcohol to minors to buy and use ID scanners.
Richard Mallow, MADD New York Executive Director said: “Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is focused on tackling underage drinking, a problem that threatens the safety of our kids and endangers entire communities, now and down the road. These legislative measures provide a strong program to crackdown on the problem of underage drinking. Our Power of Parents® program is designed to equip parents with the tools and resources to start ongoing conversations about alcohol with their youth. Our hope is that with good parental messaging, law enforcement and legislation we can prevent underage drinking in New York State.”
Frances Maturo, Executive Director of TNCAP: “Each year, too many of our youth are injured or die from use of alcohol which they purchased with a fake ID. If we are serious about addressing this problem, we must take fake IDs out of the hands of minors. Senator Klein and Assemblyman Crespo’s ‘Card Hard’ campaign will do just that. The Throggs Neck Community Action Partnership supports this campaign."
In 2013, Senator Klein and Assemblyman Crespo passed the first piece of the “Card Hard” legislative package, S.4101-A/A.2530-B, which was signed into law and brings New York into greater parity with other states by increasing the community service fines and court ordered alcohol awareness training for all youth who use a fake ID.
No comments:
Post a Comment