Who We Are - Overview

25 August 2000
"From the Border to the Beaches to the Back Country"
OPERATION SAFEGUARD
Cracks Down on Underage Drinkers & Adult Providers Throughout County

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SAN DIEGO, CA – Representatives from more than ten law enforcement agencies in San Diego County were joined today by community based coalitions of parents, youth, public health professionals, and elected officials for a rally announcing a ten-day countywide enforcement operation to combat underage drinking.

Operation Safeguard begins August 25th and will continue through Labor Day. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department, California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, and police departments of El Cajon, La Mesa, Oceanside, Escondido, San Diego, Carlsbad, National City, and Chula Vista will be conducting random DUI checkpoints, shoulder tap and decoy operations, compliance checks and keg registration enforcement.

Chief Rick Emerson, President of the San Diego County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs' Association kicked off the rally at the Sheriff's Office in Kearny Mesa with strong words for adults who provide alcohol to youth. "It's always easier to hold youth accountable rather than the adults who provide the booze," says Emerson. "Yet, underage drinkers get their alcohol from adults who should know better and should be facing charges as well," adds Emerson.

"There is zero tolerance in San Diego County for underage drinkers," says Sheriff Bill Kolender. "It is absolutely against the law for anyone under 21 to drink alcoholic beverages. If you are a minor and consume, purchase or even attempt to purchase alcohol, you can have your driver's license suspended, receive fines of up to $1000, and may serve jail time," says Kolender.

Alcohol is the number one drug of choice among teenagers. And it's killing them. Statistics from the San Diego County's Medical Examiner's Office show that in the last nine months, 23 young people who died had alcohol in their system; among them a 15-year-old with a Blood Alcohol Concentration level of .17 and a 20-year-old with a BAC level of .40, who died from acute alcohol intoxication.

Underage alcohol use continues to increase. In a San Diego Unified School District survey, 75% of high school students said they had used alcohol at one time, 39% say they currently use alcohol, and 22% say they binge drink.

The economic cost of underage drinking is also astronomical. California leads the nation in underage drinking costs -car crashes, violence, suicides, etc.–spending $6.5 billion a year. Alcohol-related crashes are the leading cause of death among young people ages 18 to 24.

A number of community prevention collaboratives showed their support at today's rally. They endorsed vigorous enforcement and adjudication of underage drinking laws. Many signed a huge thank you card presented to law enforcement by youth.

Dana Stevens, a Santee parent of three and Project Coordinator for the Safety Wellness Advocacy Coalition (SWAC) says underage drinking is NOT a rite of passage. "It is not a rite of passage when at least 23 young people died as a result of alcohol abuse in San Diego County alone in just the past nine months. And, two years ago, a home party in Santee with over a hundred teenagers became a bloody beer brawl and left a 20-year old marine permanently crippled. It is time to address the issue of adults who provide alcohol to teens or allow youth to drink at home parties. It is against the law to provide alcohol to minors–even in your own home. Parents, older siblings, friends and relatives who provide booze to youth must face the consequences," says Stevens. SWAC is a project of the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws Program serving Poway and San Diego.

Cynthia Burton, advocate with East County Community Prevention Alliance and parent of two teenagers and one pre-teen, also feels that adults who provide alcohol to minors should be prosecuted. "My heart thumps every time my children are at a friends house, not knowing if the adults are as respectful of young people as I'd like," Burton says. "Adults need to be accountable for the safety of every child and comply with underage drinking laws, and if they don't, they need to suffer the consequences. The community supports Operation Safeguard, not only through the Labor Day holiday but on an ongoing basis," says Burton.

Judy Walsh-Jackson of San Diego County Policy Panel on Youth Access supports Operation Safeguard.

"It's absolutely imperative that we address underage drinking, the number one public health problem in the county, the state, and the nation," says Walsh-Jackson. "Our success will be measured in tragedies averted and lives saved."

Operation Safeguard is being coordinated by the San Diego County Law Enforcement Task Force on Underage Drinking to reduce youth access to alcohol and underage use of alcohol.