HALLOWEEN NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2007

CONTACT: Allison Davis, Safe Communities Coordinator

                      Licking County Health Department, (740) 349 - 6535

Beware! This Halloween

Don’t Let Your Good Time Turn Into a Nightmare

Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

Newark, OH—Halloween is often thought of a night for kids and trick or treating, but in recent years adults are enjoying the holidays just as much as the kids are.

Adults enjoy Halloween in different ways, whether it is a group of neighbors sitting around a fire pit as they distribute Halloween candy or adult Halloween parties.  And often times these festivities have alcohol involved. That’s why Safe Communities and the Licking County Health Department are reminding all Halloween partiers that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.

“Halloween should be a time for scary costumes, trick or treating with the kids and good family fun,” said Allison Davis, Safe Communities Coordinator in Licking County. “But unfortunately, Halloween has also become a very dangerous and deadly night of the year due to impaired driving.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 41 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or a motorcycle operator with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, over the legal limit in every state – including Ohio.

For a safer Halloween night weekend, Safe Communities and the Licking County Health Department recommend these simple tips:

§ Designate your sober driver - before going out, give that person your keys;

§ If you’re impaired, call a taxi, use mass transit or call a sober friend or family member to help get you home safely;

§ Promptly report drunk drivers you see on the roadways to law enforcement by calling 1-800-GRAB-DUI;

§ And, always buckle up—it’s still your best defense against an impaired driver;

“Real-life Halloween nightmares are simple to avoid if you make smart decisions. Never drive drunk. Designate your sober driver in advance. And remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Whether you’ve had way too many or just one too many, make sure you don’t drive impaired.”

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