Operation Dry Water (ODW) is a year-round national campaign
focused on reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-related
incidents and fatalities on the water. The 2024 Operation Dry Water
heightened awareness and enforcement weekend starts today,
July 4, and runs through Saturday, July 6, nationwide.
LEXINGTON, Ky., July 4, 2024
/PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- On Wednesday, July
3, the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), in partnership with the
National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA),
the U.S. Coast Guard, the Okaloosa
County Sheriff's Office, Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD), and the City of Destin, kicked off the 2024 Operation Dry
Water heightened awareness and enforcement weekend with a press
conference at U.S. Coast Guard Station Destin.
Operation Dry Water (ODW) is a year-round national campaign
focused on reducing the number of alcohol- and drug-related
incidents and fatalities on the water. Annually, ODW facilitates a
three-day heightened awareness and enforcement weekend, targeting
operators who choose to boat under the influence (BUI) of alcohol
or drugs. The 2024 Operation Dry Water heightened awareness and
enforcement weekend starts today, July
4, and runs through Saturday, July
6, nationwide.
"We are all here today to talk about the preventable crime of
boating under the influence and what we are doing to educate
boaters and prevent future incidents related to impaired boating,"
said Taylor Kirshe, NASBLA
Communications and Marketing Director. "In 2009, NASBLA in
partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, launched the Operation Dry
Water campaign to address the problem of impaired boating on our
nation's waterways."
Alcohol use continues to be the leading contributing factor in
recreational boater fatalities, and a leading factor in
recreational boating incidents.* Nationally there has also been a
rise in incidents related to drug impairment.
"Boating under the influence is just as serious and just as
deadly as driving under the influence," said Colonel Brian Smith, Director of FWC Division of Law
Enforcement. "We want nothing more than for everyone to enjoy this
holiday weekend. Celebrate with your friends and family, but
nothing can ruin a day on the water faster than a boating
incident."
Law enforcement agencies from all 56 U.S. states and
territories, including the U.S. Coast Guard, will participate in
Operation Dry Water. These agencies and their officers will
concentrate on detecting impaired boaters, removing them from our
nation's waterways, and educating the public about the dangers of
boating under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
"We have 25,000 boats registered in just Okaloosa County, not to mention the bordering
counties that come to the area to visit," said Sheriff Eric Aden, Okaloosa
County Sheriff's Office. Okaloosa
County ranks the highest in boating under the influence
arrests in Florida. "That number
decreased significantly from 2022 to 2023 by 77%. A large testament
to this is due to the deterrence and enforcement we have done
throughout the past years."
While many people recognize that impairment is dangerous for the
operator of any vessel, boating under the influence is also
extremely perilous for passengers as well.**
"The past few years have been treacherous, not just on our
roads, but on our waterways as well," said Kristen Allen, MADD Northwest Florida. "We want
everyone to understand that a boat is a vehicle and that boating
under the influence is driving under the influence. BUI is
DUI."
Along with promoting increased awareness of the dangers
surrounding impaired boating, NASBLA believes that the best way to
reduce boating under the influence is to strengthen law enforcement
capabilities on the water. Throughout the country, many law
enforcement officers participate in boating under the influence
training to stay up to date on the latest developments in detection
and enforcement.
"In 2010, NASBLA was able to roll out a scientifically validated
battery of field sobriety tests that could be administered in the
seated position. Since this time, these tests have been in
widespread use both on the land and on the water," said
Todd Radabaugh, NASBLA BUI Program
Manager. "This was a gamechanger for the maritime professional.
Officers can make accurate arrest or no-arrest decisions out on the
water, and this saves everybody time – the public and the maritime
professional."
The enhanced training and tools provided to law enforcement have
significantly improved their ability to prevent and respond to
boating under the influence incidents. This heightened level of
enforcement underscores the broader impact of boating under the
influence, which extends far beyond the immediate victims. The
repercussions affect the lives of their loved ones and the
community as a whole.
"When you think about these boating incidents, don't think just
in terms of the lives lost but the tremendous impact beyond that
'one' in the statistics that boating under the influence causes. It
causes far greater harm than that," said Paul Barnard, U.S. Coast Guard Eighth
District.
Maintaining a drug- and alcohol-free environment on the water is
essential for safe boating, as is wearing a life jacket, using an
engine cut-off switch, and completing a boating education course
before heading out on the water.
Operation Dry Water (ODW) is produced under a grant from the
Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the
U.S. Coast Guard and is a product of the National Association of
State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).
*2023 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics
**2019 NASBLA Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Research Report
Media Contact
Taylor Kirshe, National
Association of State Boating Law Administrators, 859.225.9487,
taylor@nasbla.org, https://www.nasbla.org/home
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SOURCE National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators