The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) leads the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and promotes responsible decision-making regarding alcohol consumption. GHSA and Responsibility.org expanded their focus to include the growing issue of drugged driving and multi-substance impaired (alcohol and drugs) driving. GHSA and Responsibility.org partner to provide resources to both State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) and law enforcement agencies.
GHSA is partnering with NASID to develop a special report directed to the states and their partners that will identify best practices in marijuana and driving messaging. Examples of evidence-based initiatives, partnering tips and recommendations will also be included. The report will be released later this year.
State Grants
GHSA and Responsibility.org provide grants to states for training programs that support the arrest and prosecution of drug-impaired drivers. By putting more Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)-certified officers on the road, states are better able to ensure that drugged drivers are off the road. In 2020, the grant program was expanded to include initiatives that address recommendations in the GHSA report, High-Risk Impaired Drivers: Combating a Critical Threat.
Since 2016, Responsibility.org has awarded almost $1.1M to states.
2022
In 2022, grants were awarded to Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland and Nevada. The specific programs that will be funded with these grants include:
- The creation of “green labs,” which involve giving volunteers a controlled dose of cannabis (and in some cases a combination of cannabis and alcohol), in Maryland and Connecticut. Law enforcement officers will perform a series of sobriety tests to witness the impairing effects to better detect cannabis at the roadside, resulting in more impaired and dangerous drivers being removed from roadways before they hurt or kill themselves or others.
- A first-of-its-kind on-call toxicology program that can be a model for other states. Louisiana will hire a forensic toxicologist who can provide expert analysis and court testimony on drug-impaired driving cases in areas of the state that currently have limited access or funding challenges.
- Equipment to expand the range of impairing drugs tested by toxicology labs in Illinois and Louisiana. Illinois will expand its ability to test for impairment by synthetic opioids and Louisiana will purchase equipment to test blood samples submitted for analysis for a wider array of drugs, including inhalants.
- Training case managers to screen and assess impaired driving offenders and judges to use the findings to make better sentencing decisions. Nevada will provide training to judges and case managers to use the groundbreaking Computerized Assessment Referral System (CARS). The tool can identify substance use disorders and an array of mental health issues, leading to personalized treatment recommendations and more individualized sentencing decisions for defendants, reducing their chances of reoffending.
2021
In 2021, grants were awarded to Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland and Wisconsin.
In addition to providing competitive grants to states, Responsibility.org provided funding to the Texas Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Office to implement an impaired driving campaign aimed at college football fans that promote ride-hailing services through outreach events and social media.
Learn how prior year grant recipients used their funding by clicking the links below:
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Publications and Guidance for States
In July 2022, GHSA and Responsibility.org published a report with the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving (NASID), Cannabis Consumers and Safe Driving: Responsible Use Messaging, providing guidance to states and their partners through identifying best practices in marijuana and driving messaging. Examples of evidence-based initiatives, partnering tips and recommendations are included on the types of messages that do and don’t work.
In December 2019, GHSA released High-Risk Impaired Drivers: Combating a Critical Threat, a Responsibility.org-funded report focusing on the challenges and opportunities associated with the high-risk impaired driver — a person who lacks the restraint or self-control to resist driving impaired. The report was unveiled at a Capitol Hill education event and via a national webinar conducted for SHSOs, their partners and stakeholders. In conjunction with the report, Responsibility.org also launched the STOPHRID.org website, which outlines a six-step process to help communities rid our roads of impaired driving offenders. The site also features a tool kit with checklists, videos, infographics, guidance documents and more.
GHSA and Responsibility.org also published Drug-Impaired Driving: Marijuana and Opioids Raise Critical Issues for States, which analyzes the latest-available data on drugged driving and provides an in-depth look at the impact of marijuana and opioids on driving, and Drug-Impaired Driving: A Guide for States, which examines research, data and state programs addressing this complex issue and recommends increased training for law enforcement officers.
To learn more, visit www.responsibility.org.
In 2021, Responsibility.org and GHSA awarded grant funding for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) to increase education and the number of officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs).
In 2021, Responsibility.org and GHSA awarded grant funding for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) to increase education and the number of officers trained as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs).
To combat the pervasive issue of impaired driving, in 2021, the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) was awarded grant funding from Responsibility.org and GHSA to certify officers and instructors as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE), conduct cannabis and intoxication impaired driving labs and reduce the toxicology backlog by outsourcing the analysis of blood alcohol samples.
To combat the pervasive issue of impaired driving, in 2021, the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO) was awarded grant funding from Responsibility.org and GHSA to certify officers and instructors as Drug Recognition Experts (DRE), conduct cannabis and intoxication impaired driving labs and reduce the toxicology backlog by outsourcing the analysis of blood alcohol samples.
In 2021, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) was awarded grant funding from Responsibility.org and GHSA to offer municipal and state judges the Computerized Assessment Referral System (CARS) screening and assessment tool.
In 2021, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) was awarded grant funding from Responsibility.org and GHSA to offer municipal and state judges the Computerized Assessment Referral System (CARS) screening and assessment tool.
Responsibility.org and GHSA awarded grant funding to the Georgia Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to establish a phlebotomy program to train law enforcement officers to be qualified phlebotomists.
Responsibility.org and GHSA awarded grant funding to the Georgia Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) to establish a phlebotomy program to train law enforcement officers to be qualified phlebotomists.
Through a grant from Responsibility.org and GHSA, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) established a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) DUI Training Pilot Program for law enforcement to ensure officers have the skills and tools necessary to safely stop trucks and other large vehicles.
Through a grant from Responsibility.org and GHSA, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) established a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) DUI Training Pilot Program for law enforcement to ensure officers have the skills and tools necessary to safely stop trucks and other large vehicles.