DWI Resource Center Awarded $100,000 City Contract For DWI Prevention Program

For Immediate Release

February 1, 2005

Contact:    Linda Atkinson, Executive Director - (505) 881-1084

Albuquerque, New Mexico - The City of Albuquerque today awarded the DWI Resource Center a six-month $100,000 contract to create and implement a drug-free workplace program designed to reduce DWI death and injury in New Mexico.

As part of their ongoing effort to promote and support innovative, evidence-based approaches to DWI prevention, the City of Albuquerque is partnering with the DWI Resource Center to reach more than 500 local businesses and 25,000 employees in industries at high risk for DWI and provide them with materials and training to help reduce illicit drug and heavy alcohol use, both of which contribute to DWI incidents on and off the job.

“Although highly visible law enforcement efforts and effective prosecution of DWI cases continue to be very important in reducing DWI, they address the end result rather than the causes of drunk driving,” said Linda Atkinson, DWI Resource Center Executive Director. “The City’s acceptance of our proposal demonstrates their understanding and support of our community’s need to simultaneously address the environmental conditions which perpetuate drunk driving.”

Employers have a vested interest in reducing impaired driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each year motor vehicle crashes kill an estimated 2,114 people on the job, injure another 353,000, and cost employers more than $60 billion annually. In New Mexico, employers’ costs of both on- and off-the-job alcohol-involved motor vehicle crashes are more than $79 million annually.

Research indicates that Drug-Free Workplace programs can significantly influence employee’s drinking behavior, both at work and beyond the workplace. The DWI Resource Center’s Drug-Free Workplace program will incorporate federal best-practices and focus on high-risk industries. The program includes: cost analysis and risk assessment for employers; sample drug, alcohol, and DWI policies; implementation strategies or guidance on enhancing existing policies; educational materials; and resources for employers on industry-specific policy development, alcohol and drug testing labs, employee assistance providers, driving schools and screening employees for current and prior DWI offenses.

For more information about the DWI Resource Center’s Drug-Free Workplace program, please contact the DWI Resource Center at (505) 881-1084 or visit our website at www.dwiresourcecenter.org. # # #

The DWI Resource Center is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 New Mexico organization formed to reduce the social and economic impact of DWI through public awareness, education, prevention programs and research. The Center also provides assistance to victims and serves as a central clearinghouse for information on DWI and victims' rights.