By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
Law enforcement officers from across the tri-state came together Thursday morning to join AAA in helping to launch the national “Driver Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.
The event, which took place at the Florence AAA/Bob Sumerel Tire & Service, included more than 50 officers from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Bill Bell, director of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, said the large turnout demonstrates that the campaign to crack down on impaired driving doesn’t stop at state borders.
“If you are trying to get away with driving impaired, you can’t just go across the bridge,” Bell said. “They’ll be waiting for you.”
The campaign extends from Aug. 21, through Sept. 7 and includes Labor Day weekend.
Cheryl Parker, a corporate public affairs manager for AAA, said the increase in motorists driving under the influence of drugs such as heroin, in addition to those using alcohol, makes the campaign more important than ever before.
“The stories are endless, from the father who (overdosed) on heroin with a one-year-old in the car (to) the senior driver who was on Vicodin and Adderall when she was in a fatal crash recently,” Parker said. “This is a major problem in our community and we want the community to be concerned and join us in supporting the ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign. If you know someone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, do not let them drive.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration organized the “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” campaign to crack down on the number of drunk drivers on the highways.
The organization reports that each year, on average, more than 10,000 people die on the road due to drunk driving. While the organization, in part due to the “Drive Sober” campaign, continues to make progress on that front, a new challenge has emerged.
Lt. Rick Saint-Blancard, of the Kentucky State Police said the heroin epidemic in Northern Kentucky has fueled an increase in drug-related impaired drivers.
“This epidemic has had exponential growth in Kentucky and particularly in our Northern Kentucky counties,” Saint-Blancard said. “The addiction is very powerful.”
Because the addition is so strong, users will often inject the drug as soon as they get it and then get behind the wheel. In some cases, including one recently reported incident in Cincinnati, they will even inject the drug while driving.
Saint-Blancard shared some statistics to demonstrate just how significantly drug use and trafficking has escalated in the commonwealth.
Between 2010 and 2014, trafficking and possession arrests in Kentucky increased from 386 to 4,127 in 2014. In Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties alone, the number jumped from 307 to 1,597 during the period, a five-fold increase.
Saint-Blancard, whose son is a Florence Police officer, said that while he sees the impact of heroin abuse every day, the danger really hit home for him when his brother died at the age of 44 from a heroin overdose.
“This is a personal testimony of the overwhelming addicting power that heroin has on people,” Saint-Blancard said.
Included in the contingent of law enforcement personnel were Florence Police Department representatives Sgt. Adam Argullin, the state D.A.R.E. officer of the year, and Sgt. Craig Burris.
Burris said it was important for the Florence Department to have a presence at the event, not just because it was the host city, but also because the campaign is near and dear to the hearts of all law enforcement officers.
“Coming up on the end of the summer and the Labor Day holiday season, a lot of family get-togethers and someone has one to many drinks and people end up getting hurt, or worse,” Burris said. “This campaign is about saving lives and encouraging the public to make the right decision. If you choose to make the wrong decision, we’ll be watching.”
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com