PLCB Underage and Dangerous Drinking Grant

Since inception of the grants program in 1999, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has awarded more than $21.1 million in alcohol education grants to fund programs that focus on proven strategies to discourage and reduce both underage and dangerous drinking. The Pennsylvania Liquor PLCB is committed to providing financial support to address underage and dangerous drinking. Through the Alcohol Education Grant Program, the PLCB’s 2022-2024 Underage and Dangerous Drinking grant will be used to help fund prevention programs focused on underage alcohol consumption and support related law-enforcement activities. The maximum award for the two-year grant is $40,000. The PLCB has awarded more than $1 million annually in grants that fund programs that focus on proven strategies to discourage and reduce both underage and dangerous drinking. Grants are awarded to schools, community organizations, municipalities, law enforcement organizations, non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and for-profit institutions, and grant-funded initiatives have included increased police patrols, social norms campaigns, "Parents Who Host, Lose the Most" campaigns, college alcohol assessment surveys, online alcohol education programs, peer training, and more. The Upper Dublin Township Police Department was a successful recipient of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Underage and Dangerous Drinking Grant. The Department has received $32,000.00 towards grant initiatives, including, but not limited to: community education, public service announcements, sworn personnel training, and underage and dangerous drinking patrols. The Upper Dublin Township Police Department has been a successful grant recipient for approximately 15 years.  The Department has been and will continue to be successful with preventing and deterring underage and dangerous drinking.

History

The Upper Dublin Township Police Department understands the importance of educating young people about the dangers associated with underage and dangerous drinking, while also recognizing that as a law enforcement agency it is our responsibility to ensure that young people obey underage and dangerous drinking laws.

In order to accomplish each, UDPD applied for and received the PLCB's 2022-2024 Underage and Dangerous Drinking grant. As a recipient of the grant, the PLCB awarded $32,000.00 to the Department to spent within the Upper Dublin Township community on initiatives directed at preventing underage and dangerous drinking.
What to do in an alcohol poisoning emergency:

• • • Never leave someone who may have alcohol poisoning to "sleep it off"
    • Call 911 immediately
    • Gently turn the person on his or her left side, using a pillow placed at the small of the back to keep him or her in that position. This will help prevent choking should the individual vomit
    • Stay with the person until medical help arrives

Mission

In order to educate the public, UDPD has created this webpage that details the dangers associated with underage and dangerous drinking and will provide a community-based educational program to those organizations that provided Letters of Support to the Department as part of the PLCB Underage and Dangerous Drinking grant application process.

Regarding Underage and Dangerous Drinking Enforcement Details, Upper Dublin Police Officers will patrol via police bicycles areas that may be frequented by underage and dangerous drinkers, particularly at times of statistically higher instances of young people engaged in these activities. UDPD has approximately 20 police officers certified as bicycle police officers, which is a vital asset in preventing and deterring underage and dangerous drinking. The Bicycle Patrol Unit patrols those areas of Upper Dublin Township not accessible by police vehicles, which include Upper Dublin Township parks and recreation properties, Upper Dublin School District properties, golf courses and country clubs, and large wooded natural areas. UDPD will work closely with campus and school safety and security personnel as well as community leaders, local residents, and merchants in order to prevent and deter underage and dangerous drinking.

Facts & Figures

• More than half of America's youths ages 12-20 have tried alcohol. Girls are nearly as likely as boys to experiment with drinking
  • The average age an American girl has her first drink is 13; a boy, 11
• Underage drinking is risky and can lead to car accidents, violent behavior, alcohol poisoning, and other health problems

• Drinking at a young age greatly increases the risk of being involved in violent behavior and developing alcohol problems later in life

• Talking to youths early and openly about the risks of drinking can help reduce their chances of becoming problem drinkers

• Alcohol is a major factor in fatal automobile crashes
  • About one-third of drivers ages 21-24 who died in a car crash in 2009 had a blood alcohol level (BAC) that was over the legal limit
• Drinking may have lasting health effects
  • Some researchers believe that heavy drinking at this age, when the brain is still developing, may cause lasting impairments in brain functions such as memory, coordination, and motor skills - at least among susceptible individuals
• Those individuals who "binge" drink are eight times more likely than other students to:
  • fall behind in schoolwork
  • be injured
  • damage property
  • suffer alcohol poisoning
• Alcohol poisoning is a severe and potentially fatal reaction to an alcohol overdose.
  • Possible signs of alcohol poisoning include:
    • unconscious or semiconscious state
    • slow respiration - eight or fewer breaths per minute, or lapses between breaths of more than eight seconds
    • cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
    • a strong odor of alcohol on the breath and coming from the skin
  • What to do in an alcohol poisoning emergency:
    • never leave someone who may have alcohol poisoning to "sleep it off"
    • call 911 immediately
    • gently turn the person on his or her left side, using a pillow placed at the small of the back to keep him or her in that position. This will help prevent choking should the individual vomit
    • stay with the person until medical help arrives

Additional Resources

• Center for Disease Control and Transmission – Underage Drinking
• Federal Trade Commission – Consumer Information – Dangers of Teen Drinking
• Montgomery County – District Attorney’s Office
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Underage Drinking
• Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board – Alcohol Education
• National Institute of Health – Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Contact Information

Corporal David Madrak, (215) 646-2101 or email david.madrak@udpd.us