'Use-and-lose' laws aimed at teen licenses
Posted: Tuesday, December 30, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- There is no consensus among Nebraska lawmakers on whether the state should revoke driver's licenses of teens found guilty of possession of alcohol or illegal drugs.
Nebraska is among 14 states that do not mandate the pulling of licenses of teens caught with alcohol or drugs, according to the Alcohol Policy Information System.
In a pre-session survey of state senators by The Associated Press, 15 of 49 senators said they favored revocation, 11 said they did not, 13 were unsure and one skipped the question. Nine senators did not respond to the survey.
Among those unsure was Sen. John Wightman of Lexington, who said he favored revocation if drugs were involved but was unsure if it were alcohol.
People of any age who operate motor vehicles while under the influence stand to lose driving privileges for a certain amount of time.
But 36 states and the District of Columbia pull licenses of teens regardless of whether they were driving at the time they were found to be in possession of alcohol or drugs.
The so-called "use-and-lose" laws started cropping up in the mid-1980s as a deterrent. Driving is a coveted privilege for teens, and losing that privilege hits where it hurts most, say supporters of such laws.
There is no legislation on a "use-and-lose" law facing the Legislature's 2009 session, which begins Jan. 7. But some of the other 13 states without a "use-and-lose" law are considering it, said Jim Fell, senior program director for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, a nonprofit public health organization in Calverton, Md.
"There has been an evaluation of these laws," he said, "and they are considered effective."
In Nebraska, 74 percent of 12th-grade students had used alcohol sometime in their lives and 42 percent said they had imbibed in the past 30 days, according to the state Department of Health and Human Service's 2007 Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey.
Besides alcohol, marijuana was the high school seniors' drug of choice. The survey results suggested that 28 percent of Nebraska 12th-graders had used marijuana; 14 percent had used in the past 30 days.
A number of senators said he or she would need more information before forming an opinion. Four senators said license revocation should be limited to those teens who are caught operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
"What you are talking about is taking a privilege away from somebody that they may or may not have," Sen. Ray Janssen of Nickerson said. "Thirteen- to 15-year-olds can't even get a driver's license. My answer would be rethought if these were while driving."
Sen.-elect Tanya Cook of Omaha said she would want to study what other states are doing.
"On the surface," she said, "this sounds like an effective method to decrease teen alcohol use."
On the Net:
Nebraska Legislature: http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/
Alcohol Policy Information System: http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov
Nebraska is among 14 states that do not mandate the pulling of licenses of teens caught with alcohol or drugs, according to the Alcohol Policy Information System.
In a pre-session survey of state senators by The Associated Press, 15 of 49 senators said they favored revocation, 11 said they did not, 13 were unsure and one skipped the question. Nine senators did not respond to the survey.
Among those unsure was Sen. John Wightman of Lexington, who said he favored revocation if drugs were involved but was unsure if it were alcohol.
People of any age who operate motor vehicles while under the influence stand to lose driving privileges for a certain amount of time.
But 36 states and the District of Columbia pull licenses of teens regardless of whether they were driving at the time they were found to be in possession of alcohol or drugs.
The so-called "use-and-lose" laws started cropping up in the mid-1980s as a deterrent. Driving is a coveted privilege for teens, and losing that privilege hits where it hurts most, say supporters of such laws.
There is no legislation on a "use-and-lose" law facing the Legislature's 2009 session, which begins Jan. 7. But some of the other 13 states without a "use-and-lose" law are considering it, said Jim Fell, senior program director for the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, a nonprofit public health organization in Calverton, Md.
"There has been an evaluation of these laws," he said, "and they are considered effective."
In Nebraska, 74 percent of 12th-grade students had used alcohol sometime in their lives and 42 percent said they had imbibed in the past 30 days, according to the state Department of Health and Human Service's 2007 Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey.
Besides alcohol, marijuana was the high school seniors' drug of choice. The survey results suggested that 28 percent of Nebraska 12th-graders had used marijuana; 14 percent had used in the past 30 days.
A number of senators said he or she would need more information before forming an opinion. Four senators said license revocation should be limited to those teens who are caught operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
"What you are talking about is taking a privilege away from somebody that they may or may not have," Sen. Ray Janssen of Nickerson said. "Thirteen- to 15-year-olds can't even get a driver's license. My answer would be rethought if these were while driving."
Sen.-elect Tanya Cook of Omaha said she would want to study what other states are doing.
"On the surface," she said, "this sounds like an effective method to decrease teen alcohol use."
On the Net:
Nebraska Legislature: http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/
Alcohol Policy Information System: http://alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov
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Bill wrote on Dec 30, 2008 3:57 PM:
In addition, anytime you punish a select few out of the thousands violating a law it will not be enough of a deterrant, the threat is too low. Look at speeding for example.
Empower our children, don't threaten them. "