Spring Break
Grant to promote alcohol education
Charleston police will receive $30,000 from grant for 3 years
Joe Astrouski / City Editor
Issue date: 4/2/09 Section: News
In an effort to curb underage drinking, the Illinois Department of Human Services has awarded Eastern's Health Education Resource Center a three-year, federally funded grant.
The grant, worth $100,000 each year, will help fund alcohol code enforcement, said Eric Davidson, director of the Health Education Resource Center.
"The grant will primarily be used to increase the enforcement of on- and off-campus underage drinking laws," he said. "The grant will allow both Eastern and Charleston Police departments to increase the number of patrol officers on duty during … high risk drinking times."
Davidson said those high-risk times include the first weeks of the fall semester, Homecoming weekend and Halloween.
He said the grant also requires alcohol-code compliance checks on businesses that sell alcohol.
Charleston Police Chief Mark Jenkins said his department is set to receive $30,000 from the grant each of the three years.
"We will have hire-back programs which will pay for officers to work overtime on alcohol enforcement activities, such as concentrated alcohol patrols, loud party response and details targeting unlawful sale of alcohol," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said his department would also use the funds to pay for educational events, including field sobriety tents at the corner of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue, which police have used before to show people the effects of alcohol.
The tents allow people to volunteer for a field sobriety test to see the effects of alcohol on them.
Davidson said Eastern will use money from the grant to support alcohol abuse prevention.
"Some parts of the grant will also allow us to continue focusing on alcohol-free tailgating areas at home football games, continued expansion of the Good Neighbor program, and some other environmental prevention activities."
In 2007, the University Police Department recorded 35 driving under the influence arrests.
Joe Astoruski can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.
The grant, worth $100,000 each year, will help fund alcohol code enforcement, said Eric Davidson, director of the Health Education Resource Center.
"The grant will primarily be used to increase the enforcement of on- and off-campus underage drinking laws," he said. "The grant will allow both Eastern and Charleston Police departments to increase the number of patrol officers on duty during … high risk drinking times."
Davidson said those high-risk times include the first weeks of the fall semester, Homecoming weekend and Halloween.
He said the grant also requires alcohol-code compliance checks on businesses that sell alcohol.
Charleston Police Chief Mark Jenkins said his department is set to receive $30,000 from the grant each of the three years.
"We will have hire-back programs which will pay for officers to work overtime on alcohol enforcement activities, such as concentrated alcohol patrols, loud party response and details targeting unlawful sale of alcohol," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said his department would also use the funds to pay for educational events, including field sobriety tents at the corner of Fourth Street and Lincoln Avenue, which police have used before to show people the effects of alcohol.
The tents allow people to volunteer for a field sobriety test to see the effects of alcohol on them.
Davidson said Eastern will use money from the grant to support alcohol abuse prevention.
"Some parts of the grant will also allow us to continue focusing on alcohol-free tailgating areas at home football games, continued expansion of the Good Neighbor program, and some other environmental prevention activities."
In 2007, the University Police Department recorded 35 driving under the influence arrests.
Joe Astoruski can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.
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