News and Articles

The Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners have proclaimed November 16 through November 22 as DWI Awareness Week.  The Commissioners join and support the DWI Coordinators Affiliate representing all 33 counties in New Mexico, in the effort to reduce DWI related crashes and the abuse of alcohol.

DWI Awareness week is a state wide effort by all 33 counties and their DWI Programs to highlight and educate the public, legislators, and local government officials about the ongoing programs to provide services for alcohol and substance abuse, reducing domestic violence related to alcohol use or abuse and compliance monitoring of court sentences.

The Santa Fe County DWI Program will begin the observation of DWI Awareness Week with a sobriety checkpoint.  Officers from Santa Fe City Police, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office and New Mexico State Police will be checking drivers on Sunday, November 15.  The checkpoint is the beginning of enhanced DWI enforcement for the holiday season.

The Santa Fe County DWI Planning Council will acknowledge the work that DWI and police officers have done to safeguard our streets and roads from drunk drivers on Tuesday, November 17 during their regular meeting. 

Students from Santa Fe Public schools SWAT (Student Wellness Action Teams) will be placing stickers on alcohol at liquor retail locations reminding adults that it is a felony to give alcohol to anyone under 21 years old.  This sticker shock is also a way to educate minors of the dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages before they reach the age of 21.

In Santa Fe County 1,207 residents received detoxification services in 2013. Statewide DWI programs offers compliance monitoring for 13,634 DWI offenders to ensure that they complete court ordered requirements, including treatment.  Programs have supplied 29,145 hours of treatment with 13,875 offenders getting detoxification services. 

Through the efforts of county DWI Programs 229,745 students in kindergarten through high school have received prevention education. The Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey shows that students in grades 9 through 12 are self-reporting reduction in current drinking (2009 50.7% to 2013 28.9%), binge drinking and drinking and driving due in part to these educational opportunities.

Alcohol involved crashes and fatalities rates are also going down in part due to the educational and public awareness campaigns of county DWI Programs.