U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Operation Safe Crossing: Using Science Within a Community Intervention

NCJ Number
198561
Journal
Addiction Volume: 97 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2002 Pages: 1205-1214
Author(s)
Robert B. Voas; A. Scott Tippetts; Mark B. Johnson; James E. Lange; James Baker
Date Published
September 2002
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This paper evaluates a drunk-driving enforcement program at the United States/Mexico border that was designed to reduce the number of American youths crossing the border to drink in Tijuana bars.
Abstract
The authors explain that the prevalence of American youths crossing the border to drink in Tijuana bars and then returning to the United States drunk has presented a community safety issue for United States border towns and cities. As such, San Diego officials began an aggressive border enforcement program designed to curb underage drinking in Tijuana bars. The authors examined data related to the number of news events about underage drinking in Tijuana bars, as well as data from the Immigration and Naturalization Services concerning the number of individuals crossing the border each weekend night. Alcohol consumption among these 2 million border crossers was measured using random breath-test surveys. Statistical analysis of this data revealed that San Diego’s border enforcement effort had reduced the number of late-night border crossers by 31.6 percent. In conclusion, the author states that media advocacy and the border enforcement efforts were associated with a reduction in drunk driving car accidents. Tables, references