MPD receives grant to target underage alcohol abusers, suppliers

With high school graduations approaching, the Maricopa Police Department wishes to encourage high school graduates and other students to stay safe by saying no to alcohol on graduation night. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, underage drinking costs the citizens of the United States billions of dollars each year. These costs include youth violence, traffic crashes, medical care, loss of work and resources, as well as the time it requires emergency services to respond.

However, a host of other problems contribute substantially to the overall problem of underage alcohol consumption. Among teen mothers, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other related health issues costs the country billions. Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and are two and half times more likely to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking after age 21. Thousands of youth, 12-20 years old, admitted for alcohol treatment across the United States account for 9 percent% of all treatment admissions for alcohol abuse in the nation.

With this in mind, the Maricopa Police Department is pleased to announce the award of a grant in the amount of $4,528 from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to conduct enforcement and educational activities, targeting minors who consume alcohol and those business and individuals that make alcohol available to underage persons throughout the City city of Maricopa. We are pleased to partner with the GOHS in this most important endeavor.

For additional statistical information, click here. 

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