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Tampa Alcohol Coalition
Concerns about underage drinking and
alcohol-related fatalities led the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance to
create an Alcohol Task Force in September 2001. The Task Force was renamed the
Tampa Alcohol Coalition (TAC) in 2004. TAC's primary mission is to prevent/
reduce underage drinking, high-risk drinking and DUI in Hillsborough County.
Alcohol is the most abused drug among adolescents and adults. Alcohol abuse is
associated with motor vehicle crashes, violence, drowning, accidental injuries,
sexual assault, cirrhosis of the liver, brain damage, alcohol poisoning, suicide
and fatalities.
The Florida Department of Children and Families conducted the "Florida Youth
Substance Abuse Survey" in 2004. 45.1% of Hillsborough County high school
students reported that they drank alcohol in the past month and 22.9% reported
binge drinking (drank five or more drinks in a row). 12.5 was the average age
for students to begin drinking alcohol.
Hillsborough continues to lead the state in alcohol-related crashes, injuries
and fatalities. Hillsborough County is # 1 in the state (per population) in
alcohol-related fatalities, injuries and crashes, reporting 73 fatalities, 1,442
injuries and 1,986 crashes in 2003 (HSMV Traffic Crash Facts). Alcohol-related
fatalities decreased 8% between 2002 and 2003. HCSO reported 6,758 DUI arrests
in 2004. DUI arrests in the 18- to 20-year-old age group more than doubled from
182 in 1996 to 496 in 2004 (HCSO). 18- to 20-year-olds comprise 4.6 % of
licensed drivers in Hillsborough County, yet they contributed to 7.6 % of the
DUI arrests and caused 15.9 % of the impaired driving crashes in 2003 (HCSO).
The Tampa Alcohol Coalition is working to reduce these alcohol statistics and to
improve the health, safety and welfare of residents of Hillsborough County. TAC
is comprised of a broad range of community members, including representatives
from law enforcement agencies, State Attorney's Office, Juvenile Drug Court,
treatment agencies, YCDC, colleges/ universities, media, Hillsborough County
Schools, MADD, the Mendez Foundation, beer distributors, bars, parents and
students. TAC has grown to 100 members and meets on the third Tuesday of each
month at 3:00 PM at Tampa Police Department, Division II, 9330 N. 30th Street.
TAC received $60,000 in grant funding in 2005 from the Governor’s Office of Drug
Control and an FSU minigrant. This funding is used to support underage drinking
law enforcement, environmental alcohol prevention training and alcohol policy
change. TAC promotes research-based prevention programs.
Three committees address our top priorities: Education, Law Enforcement and
Public Policy.
• The Education Committee promotes alcohol/ drug free activities for youth,
including: "Extreme Rewards", an innovative program targeting middle school
students that promotes alcohol-free activities and gives incentives for positive
behaviors. The Mendez Foundation produced a prevention newsletter for parents of
high school students. USF and UT offer college students late-night alcohol-free
entertainment and alcohol education programs on campus. This committee also
creates prevention ads and works with the media. Workshops and seminars on
underage drinking prevention, alcohol policies, and underage drinking law
enforcement are offered. Alcohol statistics are collected and disseminated. Beer
distributors educate alcohol outlet owners and staff using TIPS training. TAC
trains youth members on environmental alcohol prevention and advocacy.
• The Public Policy Committee investigates ways to restrict "drink specials" and
marketing by bars aimed at underage college students. This committee supports
proposing a local ordinance to change the entrance age to nightclubs and bars to
21 and up. TAC advocated for the Ybor Child Protection Ordinance, a curfew for
youth under age 18, restricting them from the Ybor entertainment district late
at night on weekends.
• The Law Enforcement Committee focuses on underage drinking and impaired
driving laws. TAC collaborates with TPD, HCSO, USFPD, DABT and TTPD to help
reduce the consequences of underage and excessive drinking, including
alcohol-related crashes and fatalities. TAC supports sobriety checkpoints and
DUI enforcement saturations. HCSO has implemented "Operation 3D- Don't Drink and
Drive in Hillsborough County", and “Teen Angel” to enforce impaired driving laws
and increase compliance checks and party patrols.
For more information call TAC co-chairs: Susan Carrigan, 276-2945 or Ellen
Snelling 983-1939
The Too Smart To Start Initiative:
Too Smart To Start is a public education initiative that provides
research-based strategies and materials to professionals and volunteers at the
community level to help them conduct an underage alcohol use prevention
initiative. The materials are designed to educate 9- to 13-year-olds about the
harms of alcohol use and to support parents and caregivers as they participate
in their children's activities.
http://www.toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov/index.html
FACE- Truth and Clarity on Alcohol
FACE is a national non-profit organization that supports sensible alcohol
practices through the development of messages, strategies and training designed
to create public awareness about the connection between alcohol and critical
public health issues. FACE provides actions that communities can implement to
address these problems.
http://www.faceproject.org/
MADD
MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent
crime, and prevent underage drinking. http://www.madd.org/home/
Statistics
21 and Up Fact Sheet
Alcohol Survey 2005
Presentation
(Requires MS PowerPoint Viewer >>
Download Here)
Hillsborough County Alcohol Stats revised 2005
Hillsborough County Alcohol Stats revised 2004
Hillsborough
County DUI arrests 2005
Hillsborough
County DUI arrests 2004
Tampa
Alcohol Coalition Strategic Plan 2004
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