tuesday, September 29, 1981
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Official: No figure trends
for alcohol-related arrests
By D.L. Horton
Since July 19, 1980, the drinking age in
Nebraska has been 20. Has that change
caused any decrease in the number of high
school, junior high and college alcohol-related
arrests and accidents?
Fred Zwonechek, administrator of the
Nebraska Office of Highway Safety, said
changing the drinking age does not have a
direct effect on the number of people ar
rested in Nebraska for DWI and involved
in alcohol-related traffic accidents.
However, he said a study by the Insur
ance Institute for Highway Safety showed
states that raised their drinking age record
ed a 20 percent reduction in the number of
traffic deaths involving alcohol.
The number of adults - 18 and over -arrested
by Lincoln police for driving while
intoxicated decreased slightly in 1980 with
1,759 arrests compared to 1,937 in 1979.
Of these arrests, 14 percent were in
volved in accidents in 1979 and 18 percent
in 1980. The 20 to 24 age group has con
sistently had the most arrests. The arrest
figure for 1979 was 690 and 592 in 1980.
Lt. Jerry Smith said the police depart
ment is averaging 159 alcohol-related arrests
each month, for a total of 1,275 so far this
year.
Juvenile-17 and under - alcohol-related
arrests for 1981 through August were
125. This is up from 1979's figure of 1 13.
DWI arrests through August for 1981 were
46. In 1979 there were 59 for the juvenile
group.
Statewide figures for alcohol-related ar
rests were 1,733 in 1980 and 318 DWI ar
rests, according to the Nebraska Commis
sion on Law Enforcement and Criminal
Justice.
1981 figures were not available. In 1979
the figures were 1,768 with 332 DWI's.
The maximum penalty for minor in pos
session, attempting to purchase alcohol
while under age, and buying for a minor,
is three months in jail and or a $500 fine.
There is no minimum penalty.
Lt. Smith said from the majority of re
ports he has seen the adults arrested are
not college students.
Zwonechek said his office concentrates
on educating teens on the effects of alco
hol. It recognizes teens are going to drink
even though it is illegal, and tries to stress
responsible drinking.
Zwonechek said he will be working with
the Governor's Traffic Safety Council, re
searching why drinking and driving is the
number one killer of people under 25. He
said the council will also look at inconsist
encies in the way alcohol violations are
treated and suggest appropriate legislation
to correct them. Zwonechek said the gover
nor has promised to support the council's
findings and suggestions.
Zwonechek said although the problem is
a continuous one, part of the reason for
raising the age was to make it more diffi
cult for teens to acquire liquor. He said the
law assumes that because of an age differ
ence of several years, fewer teens will know
a 20-year-old that would be willing to buy
liquor for them.
Counselors and administrators of Lincoln
junior highs and high schools said they had
not seen a change in the number of students
who seek help on alcohol concerns.
Diane Leggiadro of Lincoln High, and
Dennis Tinsley of Lincoln Southeast said
they have noticed no change in the num
ber of students seeking alcohol counseling.
Tinsley said because high school-age stu
dents have never been able to drink legally
the change hasn't greatly affected them. He
said the degree of help a student wants de
pends on the student, and Tinsley will refer
students who feel they have a serious prob
lem to other alcohol counseling such as Al
coholics Anonymous.
Charles Jones, assistant principal of Lin
coln High, said only two or three students
during the last three or four years have
been referred to him with alcohol problems.
He said this is because of4 general change
in the attitudes and mores of young people.
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