The Sandoval County DWI & Prevention Program is teaming with its counterparts in six neighboring counties to host an event to show state legislators the strategies being used to help reduce drinking and driving in our communities.
This DWI Awareness Day event will take place on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho. The program is scheduled to run from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a reception to follow.
This event is part of a broader statewide effort in which DWI Program Coordinators in all 33 New Mexico counties asked their county commissions to issue proclamations declaring the week of November 16 – November 20, 2015 DWI Awareness Week. The Sandoval County Commission issued that proclamation at its November 5, 2015 meeting.
“We want to raise awareness of the need to continue working to end DWI, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, drug addiction or drug abuse, as well the need to prevent or reduce the incidence of domestic violence related to the use or abuse of alcohol,” Diane Irwin, executive administrator for the Sandoval County DWI & Prevention Program, told the commissioners when asking them to issue the proclamation. She also said the DWI Awareness Day event is designed to “educate our legislators and the general public about the valuable work the DWI program coordinators and their staffs do in support of that goal.”
The majority of the program will consist of guided tours in which small groups of visitors will be escorted to booths showcasing different ways in which county DWI Prevention Programs combat drunk driving. Visitors can expect to see the following booths:
• Prevention: Will provide insight into how alcohol affects brain function
• Juvenile Justice: Will give an overview of county programs to benefit young people
• Law Enforcement: Will show the role DWI Prevention Programs play in reducing DWI injuries and deaths
• Golf Carts and “Drunk Goggles”: Guests will be able to experience effects of DWI by driving a golf cart while wearing googles that disorient them in the same fashion as drinking too much
• Treatment: Visitors will learn about addictions from licensed counselors, and get information on the number of domestic violence offenders referred for treatment
• Compliance: A demonstration of testing devices used for compliance. Statistics on number of offenders currently being tracked, information on funding sources and how the funds are used
• Independence High School: Teachers and students will show public service announcements and artwork created by students in support of DWI Prevention Programs.
The DWI Awareness Day is being supported by DWI & Prevention Programs in District 1, which encompasses McKinley, Cibola, Bernalillo, San Juan, Torrance, Sandoval and Valencia Counties. Guests can check in for the event at Rio Rancho’s Santa Ana Star Center from 1:00 pm on Tuesday, November 17, 2015.
The program will begin at 1:30 pm, with a welcoming performance by students from Independence and Bernalillo High Schools. For more information, contact Cindy at 505-771-7191 or Thelma at 505-863-1422.