An article by Ingeborg Rossow published in the March 2012 issue of the journal Addiction finds that in Norway each additional one-hour extension of closing hours for alcohol sales was associated with a statistically significant increase of 4.8 assaults per 100,000 inhabitants per quarter – an overall 16 percent increase in violent crime.
In a commentary on this article in the same issue of Addiction, Kathryn Graham writes, “Thus, if drinking tends to start at a regular start time, but drinking continues as long as bars remain open, late closing times will have a significant impact on overall consumption and related problems.”
Imagine if Washington state allowed bars to extend alcohol service by four hours, until 6 a.m. Would we see an increase in violent crimes?
 
One need only look to our neighbor to the north, Vancouver, B.C., to see the effects of extending alcohol hours.
In 2003 Vancouver extended bar closing hours in the Granville nightlife district to 3 a.m. A 2007 report by the city and police department found that between 2002 and 2006:
- The number of police calls between midnight and 6 a.m. increased from 2,000 to more than 3,500;
- The number of fights doubled from around 140 to almost 300;
- The number of disturbance and annoyance calls increased from approximately 310 to 410;
- The number of requests for assistance to dispatch doubled from 80 to 160;
- The number of stabbings and assaults in progress went from 40 to 100.
These increases in violence and accidents end up costing taxpayers at a time when budgets are tight.
Last month, the Vancouver, B.C., Police Department requested an additional $826,000 for emphasis patrols in the Granville nightlife district. This is only to patrol a three block area. Many patrons of these bars drive in from suburban areas where bars close at 2 a.m., meaning that Vancouver residents pick up the tab for suburban party-goers’ reckless behavior.
Another article published last year in Addiction by Kypros Kypri found that restricting closing times in New South Wales, Australia, led to a 37 percent reduction in assaults compared to a control city.
Professor Tim Stockwell, the director of the Center for Addictions Research of British Columbia at the University of Victoria who has reviewed more than 50 studies on the impact of alcohol hours, says these two recent studies by Rossow and Kypri are two of the best studies he has seen and add to a growing body of research that shows the harmful effects of extending alcohol hours.
Stockwell notes that when you examine the 19 most reliable studies in the international literature (those with baseline and control group data) 16 out of the 19, or 84 percent) indicate adverse impacts of extended alcohol sales hours.
When asked to comment about extended alcohol hours, a local Bellingham bartender wrote, “As someone who has worked as a nighttime bartender for many years, I am firmly opposed to extending the hours of service. While extending service hours might be in the economic interest of a handful of establishments, there are other, non-economic values to be considered. It would encourage people to drink in bars all night. Extended service hours will also increase the demand for illegal stimulants. The existing bar closing hour already puts a strain on law enforcement in Bellingham, as most officers on duty are concentrated downtown. I can think of no public policy reason for extending service hours, and a myriad of reasons for not doing so.”
The Whatcom Prevention Coalition is a group of local organizations and citizens working together to prevent drug and alcohol abuse and violence. The coalition has been working to build a stronger community by providing community strategies through leadership, experience and resources designed for the community.
Many of WPC’s efforts have focused on creating the type of community we want to work, live and play in. Members include: Whatcom County Health Department, Whatcom Family & Community Network, Communities in Schools, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, SeaMar Visions, Bellingham Schools, Ferndale Schools, Blaine Schools, ESD 189, Interfaith Community Health Center, Community Campus Coalition, Shuksan, Squalicum, and Bellingham Prevention Clubs, Traffic Safety Team, Bellingham Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and the Lummi CEDAR Project.
Amy Hockenberry is a coordinator with the Whatcom Prevention Coalition. You may reach her at 360-738-1196 or amyhockenberry@wfcn.org.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/05/04/2509482/whatcom-view-longer-alcohol-sale.html#storylink=misearch?storylink=addthis#storylink=cpy

Young people aged 18 to 24 not only had the highest prevalence of binge drinking (28.2 percent) in 2010, but they also tended to drink most excessively, consuming an average of 9.3 drinks on an occasion. This new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which defines binge drinking as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion during the past 30 days, is published in the January 10, 2012, issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A striking conclusion of the report is that, “Binge drinking accounts for more than half of the estimated 80,000 average annual deaths and three quarters of $223.5 billion in economic costs resulting from excessive alcohol consumption in the United States.” 

 Several evidence-based types of environmental prevention have been shown to be effective in preventing and reducing underage drinking, including youthful binge drinking. Recommendations from CDC’s Community Preventive Services Task Force’s Community Guide have also been effective. CDC offers a video on the consequences of binge drinking.

“Energy drinks used in excess or in combination with alcohol or drugs can pose a serious health risk,” said Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., Administrator in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), about a new report, Emergency Department Visits Involving Energy Drinks. This report is based on data from SAMHSA’s 2005–2009 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports. In the DAWN data analysis, 44 percent of the emergency department visits involving energy drinks were associated with the combined use of an energy drink with other substances such as alcohol, pharmaceuticals, or illicit drugs. The rate of combination use of energy drinks and other substances of abuse was greatest among young adults aged 18 to 25 (52 percent).

For healthcare professionals and others working with underage drinkers (including cases where energy drinks are involved), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism offers A Pocket Guide for Alcohol Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth.

This year, the Coalition is took a different approach to encouraging neighborhood engagement.  Over the summer, students from Bellingham Technical College, Whatcom Community College, and Western Washington University have came together to examine student engagement in neighborhoods.  Out of these discussions, the “Think Locally, Act Neighborly Summit” was created.

Students from multiple campuses, neighborhood representatives, law enforcement, and community members came together on Saturday, November 5th to talk with one another, deepen their understanding of each other’s perspectives, and explore ways to engage together as a community.

Following the Summit, student representatives from WWU, WCC, and BTC presented at the November Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Committee (MNAC) meeting about their experience at the Summit and asked MNAC representatives their feedback about student participation in the neighborhood associations.  The students continue to meet monthly and are forming a group called “The Student Connection.”  Here is what the group has to say about themselves:

“The Student Connection is a developing group in Whatcom County where students want to engage in community and make Whatcom County a place they would want to live! We want to help students from all campuses (Western, Whatcom CC, Bellingham Tech, and NW Indian College) to have a resource to connect with other students and with community members. This form of networking is to help you establish relationships with not only students and neighbors but also with all the organizations and experience all Whatcom County has to offer. If you want to get connected, please come to a meeting!”

Learn more about The Student Connection through their Facebook Page.

Since the beginning of October of this year, there have been 26 reported residential burglaries. The locations of the burglaries are spread through out the city. Last year, during the same reporting time period, there were 23 residential burglaries. In some cases, homes were left unlocked. In other cases, thieves forced entry by either kicking in doors or prying open windows. Based on the current trends in these most recent cases, here are a few home security reminders.

1. Always keep your doors and windows locked especially when you are away. Security film, a commercially applied product can be useful on ground level windows to prevent window breakage.

2. If you have an alarm system, use it.

3. Keep a list of all electronics/property to include make, model and serial numbers. This information is useful during investigation and property recovery.

4. Reinforce door strike plate hardware with longer screws. This helps to promote stronger door jams. Check out other prevention products at local locksmith or home hardware stores.

5. When not at home, consider leaving a radio on.

6. Call 911 if you see suspicious activity in your neighborhood or if you believe something is occuring at your home.

7. If you use a home safe, bolt it down to the floor. Many models are designed to allow this. Keep cash, credit cards, passports etc, safely locked away.

8. During hours of darkness, use a porch light. Make sure your address is clearly visible for first responders.

 9. Don’t leave garage door openers in your car if you park outside of your home.

10. Avoid leaving items around your yard that if used could allow access to a second story window. Items such as ladders, tables and chairs should be stored when not in use.

For more information concerning this press release, please contact Public Information Officer Mark Young at the number listed.

###

Media Contact:
Mark Young
Public Information Officer
Bellingham Police Department
(360)778-8815
myoung@cob.org

This will be a very interactive and engaging experience. Students from multiple campuses, law enforcement representatives, and neighborhood representatives will participate in this Summit from 10:00 AM through 1:00 PM. (lunch is provided for all participants) After lunch, the student participants will stay until 3:00 PM to spend time with other students from their campus to reflect on the morning and develop next steps.

What do we hope to accomplish? By the end of the day, we will have:
• Learned how to be a better neighbor and how we can better our neighborhood
• Explored law enforcement and student relations
• Defined how each campus group and the broader group (all campus groups) will work together
• Created action plans for community engagement for each group of students from each campus

Register by October 24th.

Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2011-11-05

 Crew Members are required to:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have valid WA-ID or Driver’s License
• Be a member of the Whatcom County community
• Participate in a minimum of three campaign nights during the academic year (typically the first Thursday night of each month)
• Agree to and sign AOT Crew Member Conduct Contract  (signed contract is not required until after applications have been accepted and training has been conducted)

 Please visit: http://www.bhamadviceontap.com for more information on Bellingham Nightlife…Advice On Tap or visit the Facebook group page at http://www.facebook.com/adviceontap.

 If you are interested in participating in the AOT Crew this year, please complete the application. The deadline for the application is September 23, 2011 by 3 pm to Lyndie.Case@wwu.edu. If selected, Crew members must attend a training session before participating in the campaign.  The first training session is scheduled for October 11^th at 2:30 – 3:30 PM.  More information will be provided to selected applicants.  Our first campaign night will be on October 13^th.  Selected applicants wishing to participate that evening MUST attend the training on October 11^th.

 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Lyndie.Case@wwu.edu or phone (360) 650-6863.

	Brad Howard works at Cap Hansen’s and the Ridge Wine Bar. He has been an active member of the Hospitality Resource Alliance for over three years and is the author of “A Night on the Town” bar parody film that was produced by the Coalition last spring.
	Joe Fuller, a Program Specialist with the Whatcom Health Department, has been a member of the Coalition for over five years. Joe is Certified Prevention Professional and has been in the substance abuse prevention field for nearly 18 years. He is very familiar with risk and protective factors in the community, and has conducted intensive community and strategic planning within Whatcom County.

These Members at-Large positions are new to the Coalition this year and will rotate on an annual basis. If you are interested in serving on the CCC Steering Committee as a Member at-Large, please review the purpose and roles of the Steering Committee and the application process.

New faces on the Steering Committee

	You may know her as Laurel Denison, but after a beautiful summer wedding, she is now Laurel Hammond. Although Laurel has been attending the Steering Committee meetings for the past year, she is now the official representative from Whatcom Community College. We are pleased Laurel is now a regular member and value her insights and ideas.
	Anna Ellermeier joins us as the new WWU Associated Students Board President. Anna is a senior this year and has a long history of involvement at Western, including participation on several committees, two years as the AS Review editor, and a Lifestyle Advisor for the WEAVE (Women’s Empowerment and Violence Education) program.

To learn more about the Steering Committee’s role and purpose, please explore the Steering Committee pages on the Coalition website.

CCC & Subgroup Meeting Schedule 2011-2012

Invitations and reminders will be sent out to subgroup and coalition members as the meeting approach.  If you would like more information, please contact Lyndie Case at Lyndie.Case@wwu.edu.