The collaborative effort between several community organizations and law enforcement agencies was announced last Wednesday at the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department by Sheriff Mark Hackel and Project Remedy Supervisor Jamie Siefert.

Clinton Township, Fraser, St. Clair Shores, Sterling Heights, Roseville and Warren will be the first communities within the county to have Project Remedy implemented. These communities were chosen, Siefert said, because they boast the highest rate of drunken driving crashes in Macomb County.

“They have a good solid base for starting this project,” said Siefert. “They also have a high number of 16- to 24-year-olds living within the communities.”

Richard Rondeau, executive director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Macomb County, said there were 112 drunken driving fatalities in the county in 2006; however, that number dropped in 2007 to 97.

Even though the numbers are down, Rondeau said it’s important to keep educating people on the dangers of driving under the influence because, “not every victim dies.”

Project Remedy isn’t just about cutting down on drunken driving accidents. It’s also about educating young people about alcohol.

According to Siefert, the project will be enacted through pre-existing community organizations.

“We’ll be using their expertise to help us reach out to the rest of the community,” Siefert said.

Project Remedy also reaches out to parents to inform them of the penalties they face if they allow underage drinking to take place in their homes.

Hackel said parents who serve alcohol to minors face stiff penalties. They can spend up to 90 days in jail and be fined up to $1,000 if they serve alcohol to a teen that is injured in any way.

In 2007, there were more than 984 drunken drivers involved in crashes in Macomb County and 277 of those involved drivers between the ages of 16-24.

Hackel also spoke of some of the penalties that drunken drivers face. First-time offenders face fines of up to $250, community service, four points on their driving records and a 30-day restricted license.

Hackel said first-time offenders would have to “spend the night in jail and would only be released when their blood-alcohol level was back at zero.”

The penalties for a second-time offender essentially doubles with one difference - 93 days in jail.

Project Remedy is funded under a federal and state grant through the Macomb County Community Health Office of Substance Abuse, and local agencies such as Community Assessment Referral and Education and the Macomb Traffic Safety Association. The grant totals $186,000 per year for two years.

For more information about Project Remedy or to get involved, visit www.careofsem.com