Drunk drivers on Wyoming highways may be more intoxicated than previously thought, creating serious public safety concerns for law enforcement and other motorists.

People arrested in Wyoming for driving under the influence have unexpectedly high blood alcohol levels, according to a new study by the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs.

Among the more notable findings, blood alcohol concentrations of those arrested for DUI in Sheridan County averaged 0.1893, well above the legal limit of .08. And, the study found that the average age of people arrested for DUI by the University of Wyoming Police Department was 20, with an average BAC of .2118.

Evaluating nearly 8,000 arrests made in 10 counties over a six-month period this year, the study found that alcohol was involved in 58 percent of arrests. In cases where alcohol played a role, at least a quarter of arrestees had consumed drinks in a bar. Additionally, nearly 30 percent said they purchased their alcohol at a bar.

"We're hoping people will look at this and have just as much concern as law enforcement does when it comes to the high BAC levels," Laramie Police Department Commander Jim Kyritsis said. He also chairs the state's Enforcing Underage Drinking Law Advisory Council. "This isn't just a legal issue. In order for us to resolve these high BACs, everyone has got to get involved in solving the problem."

"Evaluation of Alcohol Factors in Custodial Arrests in the State of Wyoming," managed by Johnson & Associates, encompassed Albany, Campbell, Fremont, Laramie, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta counties, accounting for more than 75 percent of Wyoming's population. Originally designed to study the extent of alcohol-involved arrests in the state, reporting from detention centers was spotty enough to limit conclusions. However, important data regarding the type of offense, location of last consumption, point of sale, BAC levels for DUI and MIP cases, and demographics should help law enforcement devise new strategies to combat drunk driving and underage drinking.

Spotlight on Laramie

The study's findings could be most pertinent in Sheridan and Albany counties, where reporting was relatively thorough and the results particularly astonishing.

In Laramie, public perception is that people are getting seriously drunk at house parties. The study was revealing, however, in that the majority of those arrested had been drinking at bars. Kyritsis said this indicates a need to look at Wyoming's over-service laws and what, if any, responsibility servers should have for their patrons.

"Alcohol is a legal product," he acknowledged. "The issue is, is it being sold responsibly? The bottom line is the establishments. Are they cutting people off who are getting to that (highly intoxicated) point?"

Already, university law enforcement and officials are working hard to educate parents and students on the dangers of underage and binge drinking.

University of Wyoming Police Chief Tim Banks said his department educates students and parents about the "alcohol culture" found on most all college campuses.

"Alcohol is a big factor in a lot of the issues we deal with in general, and especially on campus," Banks said. "We talk about that constantly."

His officers find a high correlation between alcohol and petty crimes, typical at universities across the nation. Alcohol is taken seriously on campus, although arrests are generally not made for simple MIP offenses, he said. That factor could influence the high BAC content in the study's findings for Laramie.

The study formalizes what UW law enforcement already knows, Banks said, providing one more opportunity to let people know how serious a problem drinking is.

Underage drinking

Underage drinking isn't just a problem at UW. Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal's initiative to address underage alcohol consumption has raised awareness in the past year, encouraging adults to consider the models they set for children. When young people see adults consuming lots of alcohol, they may think that is the only way to drink.

"Nothing happens in a vacuum," Kyritsis said. "Adults, whether they want to take that role on or not, are role models. Adults are of legal age, and therefore, they can consume alcohol. But, the issue is, what kind of impact does that have on our youth?"

In a state that ranks first for the earliest age children try their first drink and in the top five for youth binge drinking, the impact of adult behavior plays a critical role, Wyoming First Lady Nancy Freudenthal said.

"It (the study) is an important message to people," she said. "We need to each consider whether we have a good definition of responsibility. If our own consumption of alcohol is at these same levels showing up on these arrests, it is certainly not a good role model."

Parents consistently underestimate the amount of alcohol their children consume, with only 3 percent of parents believing their kids binge drink, she said. When children are asked, about 33 percent admit to binge drinking.

The study should also reinforce the community's value of law enforcement, Freudenthal said.

"Too often, parents think that law enforcement is great until their kids get picked up," she said. "Parents need to stand behind the law enforcement officers doing their job, whether it is their child involved or someone else. That is a huge deterrent to alcohol use by minors."

Next steps

"This is an amazing report," Kyritsis said. "I would like to see a concerted effort to track this information around the state for an extended period of time."

Law enforcement deals with a large degree of public apathy, he said, the attitude that if it doesn't happen to a particular family, it is of no concern to them. The study's findings may be a vehicle to encourage entire communities to address "what is obviously a very serious problem."

The study demonstrates, above all else, a need for more information from every Wyoming county. To that end, the Wyoming Department of Transportation has secured additional National Highway Safety funding, which will be granted to the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs for another fact-finding mission, Highway Safety Program Grant Coordinator Dee West Peterson said.