Date: June 18, 2002
Contacts:
Renee Hoffman
CCPS Public Affairs
(919) 733-5027
(ext. 231)
| For Release: Immediate
Date: June 18, 2002 |
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Contacts:
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ALE AGENTS CHARGE FIVE WITH UNDERAGE ALCOHOL POSSESSION AT RESIDENCE IN STOKES COUNTY |
WINSTON SALEM -- After receiving information there would be a party involving underage persons consuming alcoholic beverages, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Division Agents and Stokes County Sheriff's Deputies went late Saturday evening, June 15, 2002, to a residence in the Madison community to investigate. There they located the party. As a result of their investigation, five persons were charged with underage possession of an alcoholic beverage. The party was hosted by an 18-year old whose parents were out of town for the weekend. All persons charged have a court date of June 26, 2002.
Alcohol, which kills 6.5 times more young people under the age of 21 than all other illicit drugs combined, is the drug of choice for underage persons in this state. Statistics released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services are startling. Seventy-five percent (75%) of all high school students drink alcohol; 24% of them are binge drinkers. Even more alarming, 33% of middle school students began drinking before age 11. At the national level, U.S. Department of Justice statistics show that underage consumption of alcohol costs taxpayers $58 billion annually as a result of traffic crashes, violent crimes, burns, drownings, suicide attempts, alcohol poisoning, and alcohol abuse treatment costs. In North Carolina alone, underage consumption of alcohol cost taxpayers $1.1 billion annually. Alcohol is one of the most common contributors of injury, death and criminal behavior among our youth. According to the North Carolina Governor's Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse, 95% of all violent crimes committed on college campuses are alcohol related. Additionally, it was recently discovered that in 2001, approximately 10 percent of all alcohol related fatal crashes in North Carolina involved an underage driver.
Additional information may be obtained from the ALE Assistant District Supervisor, Michael W. Yates at 336-896-7033.
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