NEWS RELEASE  6/23/16

For immediate release

El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office encourages boaters to
take the pledge to never boat under the influence

El Dorado County, California (June 24-June 26 2016) – Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in recreational boater deaths in the United States^*. The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, through its support of Operation Dry Water (ODW), is hoping to help change that statistic and encourages boaters to take the pledge at operationdrywater.org to never boat under the influence.

Operation Dry Water’s mission is to raise awareness among recreational boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence. With alcohol use remaining the leading contributing factor in recreational boater deaths, the goal of the Operation Dry Water campaign is to change the cultural acceptance of drinking and boating and help boaters have safe and fun recreational boating experiences.

• Alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. It can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion.

• Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion —“stressors” common to the boating environment— intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications.

• Alcohol is dangerous for passengers, too. Intoxication can cause slips, falls over board, and other dangerous accidents.

Boaters can take the pledge and find information about boating under the influence at operationdrywater.org.

Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) in partnership with the United States Coast Guard.

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^(*) Source:  U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics 2014