"USE IT & LOSE IT" EDUCATION CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY By SECRETARY OF STATE GEORGE H. RYAN

My "Use It & Lose It" bill has been signed into law by the Governor and goes into effect January 1, 1995. The key to its success will be a strong education program implemented statewide.

"Use It & Lose It" provides for the suspension of driving privileges of anyone under age 21 caught driving with any trace of alcohol in his or her system. I sincerely believe our zero-tolerance bill is the most significant piece of anti-DUI legislation to pass the General Assembly in many years.

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among our young people, and alcohol is a factor in 40 percent of those crashes. This law is going to save lives — not just the lives of teens, but the lives of innocent victims of all ages. When this bill takes effect, it will give law enforcement an extremely effective new tool to put an end to underage drinking and driving.

More than 75 municipalities, advocacy groups and law enforcement organizations have endorsed "Use It & Lose It," but civic leaders, school officials, parents, and teens must get involved as well. Traffic safety advocates across the state are being asked to assist in developing a statewide education program targeting teen drivers.

A new Under 21 brochure, entitled "Under 21 DUI, Making Progress, Getting Results," has been produced as one of several phases of the program. Copies are available from my office and at driver's license facilities throughout the state. The brochure clarifies the law for teens. For example, persons under 21 with any trace of alcohol in their systems will have their licenses suspended unless they consumed alcohol in a religious service or ceremony, or ingested the prescribed or recommended dosage of medicine that contained alcohol.

This evidence can be presented at an administrative hearing in the Secretary of State's office and does not require a court appearance. In addition, drivers under 21 can still be charged with DUI if they have a BAC of .10 or more, any illegal drugs in their systems, or other indications of impaired driving.

A zero-tolerance law was implemented in Maryland with some success (crashes involving teens who had been drinking dropped by 21 percent), but when that new law was combined with an intensive public education campaign, the total number of crashes involving drinking teens dropped by about 50 percent. This clearly shows that a statewide public education campaign involving teens and the community is effective.

Four existing DUI prevention programs in the Secretary of State's office now include zero tolerance education: P.E.E.R.S., Youth Court, Teen DUI Presentations and Safe Celebration:

• P.E.E.R.S. (Promoting Effective Education in Resistance Skills) is a lesson in peer pressure and techniques for saying "No" to alcohol that is taught by high school students (trained by this office) to fifth through eighth graders in a 50-minute session.

• Youth Court simulates DUI arrest procedures and subsequent legal steps take for a person under the age of 21. The roles are played by students, and the pro-

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gram emphasizes the consequences of DUI and the legal process for DUI offenders.

• Teen DUI Presentations are given in high schools by Secretary of State staff to discuss the legal implications of drinking and driving, alternatives and statistics. DUI crash victims often assist with these presentations.

• Safe Celebration is a partnership between the Secretary of State's office, Coca-Cola, communities, schools and students to offer teenagers alternatives to drinking by promoting alcohol and drug-free activities. Our office is available to provide technical and organizational support and serve as a clearinghouse for new ideas and events.

People often say that their teen years were the best years of their lives. But the reality is, being a teenager is not always easy. Teens face a lot of tough decisions that can affect their future.

Our message to teens is this: "Some of the most important decisions you may ever have to make concern drinking and driving. Drinking is illegal for anyone under age 21 — and if you are caught driving with any trace of alcohol in your system, you will lose your driver's license. To put it simply: 'Use It & Lose It'."

For copies of the new Under 21 brochure or information about the Secretary of State's alcohol education programs, write to the Driver Services Department, Traffic Safety Division, 2701 S. Dirksen Pkwy., Springfield, IL 62723, or call 217/785-1444 (voice) or 1-800-526-0844 (TTY).

Page 12/ Illinois Municipal Review / October 1994