Minor Under The Influence
Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force
January, 1997


Appointed by Pete K. Rahn, Secretary
New Mexico Highway and Transportation Department

Rich Melton, Chairperson
Farmington Police Department
Nancy Owen Lewis, Ph.d
Project Consultant

Sponsored by
New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau, Highway and Transportation Dept.
and Safer New Mexico Now

Table of Contents

Membership Lists
1. Task Force Members
2. Community Coordinators
3. Staff

Executive Summary

Chapters
1. The Process
2. The Reality
3. The Problem
4. The Consequences
5. The Perception
6. The Resources
7. The Solutions

Community Profiles
Acoma
Albuquerque
Clovis
Espaņola
Farmington
Gallup
Las Cruces
Roswell
Santa Fe
Silver City
Taos
Truth or Consequences

References

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Tables

  1. The Three Leading Causes of Death for New Mexico Youth
  2. New Mexico’s Under-21 Vehicle Fatalities
  3. Impaired Drivers in Fatal Crashes, 1990-1995
  4. Persons Killed by Impaired Under-21 Drivers
  5. New Mexico’s Under 21 Serious Crash Injuries
  6. Impaired Drivers in Serious Injury Crashes,  1990-1995
  7. Persons Seriously Injured by Impaired Under-21   Drivers
  8. Suicide and Homicide in New Mexico
  9. Substance Abuse Referrals, Juvenile Justice System
  10. Arrests for DWI in New Mexico, 1990-1995
  11. Severity of Problem: Survey Results
  12. Why Youth Drink: Top Four Reasons
  13. Recommendations: Surveys, Focus Groups, and   Hearings

This report is a collaborative effort of
The New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau, The Institute of Public Law and Safer New Mexico Now

Task Force Members

  1. James R. Ball, NM Department of Education
  2. Rose Burgett, Farmers Insurance Agency
  3. John Chavez, NM Taxation and Revenue Department
  4. Kathy Armijo-Etre (Irene Gomez, designee), Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)
  5. Bill Fulginiti, New Mexico Municipal League
  6. Ilene Hall, Substance Abuse Epidemiology Unit, Department of Health
  7. LaDonna Harris, Americans for Indian Opportunity
  8. Loretta Henry (Leroy Garcia, alternate), Juvenile Justice Division, CYFD
  9. Colleen Maloof (Ed Mahr, designee), Joe G. Maloof Company
  10. Bo Miller, University of New Mexico (UNM)
  11. Sam Miners, DWI Planning Councils
  12. Paul Nathanson, Institute of Public Law, UNM
  13. Violanda Nuņez, Ayudantes Inc.
  14. Judge Paul R. Onuska, 11th Judicial District, Farmington
  15. Robin D. Otten (Lillian Martinez, designee), Regulation and Licensing Department
  16. Senator Janice D. Paster, Albuquerque, NM
  17. Chris Schueler, News l0l (KRQE-TV)
  18. Donna Smith, Association of Counties
  19. Nancy Stevens, NM Teen Court Association

Community Coordinators

  1. Acoma -- Connie Garcia
  2. Albuquerque -- Linda Atkinson
  3. Clovis -- Cathy Ice
  4. Espaņola -- Harry Montoya
  5. Farmington -- Martha Honaker
  6. Gallup -- Eric Meyners
  7. Las Cruces -- Tiffani Reese
  8. Roswell -- Jim Kisselburg
  9. Santa Fe -- Paula Scarpellino
  10. Silver City -- Nancy Stevens
  11. Taos -- Satrupa Kagel
  12. T or C -- Marta Ryals

Staff Members

  1. Donna Dossey, chief, Traffic Safety Bureau
  2. Mary Justice, director, Safer New Mexico Now
  3. Carolyn Johnson, Institute of Public Law, UNM
  4. Nancy Owen Lewis, Project Consultant
  5. Coletta Reid, Santa Fe Community Partnership
  6. Muiriel Kirchmeier, Traffic Safety Bureau
  7. Tom McCalmont, Traffic Safety Bureau
  8. Melvin Martinez, Traffic Safety Bureau

 

Executive Summary

The Problem. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of New Mexico’s youth, and alcohol is involved in nearly half of these deaths. Alcohol also plays a major role in homicide and suicide -- the other two leading causes of death for persons under 21. Underage drinking is a key factor in teen violence, unplanned pregnancies, poor school performance, and rising crime rates.

The Process. Disturbed by these figures, the New Mexico Traffic Safety Bureau, in conjunction with Safer New Mexico Now, initiated a statewide assessment of underage drinking. This project, which was conducted from June through December 1996, involved compiling statistics and administering questionnaires. In addition, 12 communities were selected for a more detailed analysis of the problem. To identify problems and develop solutions, a 20-member Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force was appointed by State Highway and Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn.

The Perception. What do New Mexicans think about underage drinking? To answer this question, law enforcement and juvenile probation officers were surveyed. Questionnaires were distributed to teenagers and adults throughout the state, and public hearings and focus groups were conducted in 12 communities. Analysis of the results revealed that adults and youth had somewhat different ideas about why teens drink. According to adults, the main factor was lack of parental responsibility. For teens, the primary reason was pleasure. Both cited peer pressure and a lack of alternative activities as two of the top four causes. Availability of alcohol -- the second most important factor according to adults -- was not viewed by teens as a major reason why they drink. Instead, youth stressed the use of alcohol as a way to cope with problems.

"Personally, when I drink, it’s to forget about my problems, or because I’ve had a bad day." -- Teen, Espaņola

Recommendations. The information gathered from the communities, available reports, and expert testimony was presented to the Underage Drinking Prevention Task Force. Its members, who met monthly from August through December 1996, identified seven problem areas, five guiding principles, and 41 solutions, which they prioritized to 14 major recommendations. The latter were selected by majority vote and are listed on the following page in order of priority.

 

Guiding Principles

  1. Promote parental responsibility.
  2. Impose immediate consequences on juvenile offenders, including those who violate underage drinking laws.
  3. Support effective, research-based prevention programs.
  4. Include youth as decision makers on task forces and committees that impact their lives.
  5. Recognize that underage drinking is a reflection of other complex societal problems that require coordinated efforts by individuals, communities, and governmental entities.

Priority Recommendations

  1. Develop a "one-stop" center/facility that serves as a centralized intake point for police to take juvenile offenders.
  2. Enact a local option alcohol excise tax to provide adequate funding for alcohol and other substance abuse programs as determined by each community.
  3. Establish a statewide automated and linked juvenile record keeping system that is accessible to juvenile probation, law enforcement, and the courts.
  4. Enact a statewide local option law to enable communities to ban drive-up windows.
  5. Encourage the Department of Health to coordinate juvenile substance abuse prevention programs at the state level and develop standards for program effectiveness.
  6. Explore the utilization of non-traffic citations for underage drinking violations and other minor juvenile offenses.
  7. Encourage the Traffic Safety Bureau to develop statewide media campaigns that: 1) educate parents and others on their liability in providing alcohol to minors; 2) encourage parents and others to address alcohol issues with children at an early age; and 3) provide information to minors and adults on underage drinking and DWI laws.
  8. Amend the Children’s Code to enable municipal courts to have jurisdiction over juvenile curfew violators.
  9. Fund alternative educational programs through the school funding formula based on a high-risk youth factor.
  10. Encourage the District Attorneys Association to develop a uniform position on charging adults who provide alcohol to minors with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
  11. Require substance abuse screening for juveniles convicted of DWI and for second and subsequent alcohol-related offenses.
  12. Support the efforts of the Children, Youth, and Families Department to expedite the processing of juvenile offenders by streamlining its regulations and procedures.
  13. Clarify conflicting statutes and regulations pertaining to minors being served alcohol in bars, restaurants, and other public places when accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult spouse.
  14. Encourage the Judicial Education Center to provide ongoing training to judges on issues concerning juvenile offenders.

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