The RECORD

While in a drunken stupor, 24-year-old Jason Toothaker chose not to pay a $4.65 cab fare then ran from police at 2 a.m. on Saturday. Toothaker is one of four Green Party members on the Portland School Committee. Toothaker indicated he was planning to stay on the committee and "tackle his problem head-on." However, in response to public pressure he decided on Wednesday that he will step down. Instead of resigning immediately and removing himself from the public spotlight he announced that he will make a public statement about his experience, and his future plans, at the school committee meeting on January 3rd.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Toothaker got into legal trouble before, in 2001, after drinking alcohol while a student at USM. During that incident he pointed a knife at someone. He told Gorham police, "I snort Ritalin, I smoke marijuana, but alcohol is the only drug that gets me in trouble."

Toothaker told the newspaper he is going to get a second round of counseling and then share his experience with teenagers as a cautionary tale.

"I wish I sensed in reviewing this story that Jason feels ashamed of what he did," observed League Director Mike Heath. "I haven't spoken with him, so I don't know for certain. It's hard to discern shame from media accounts."

Heath continued, "Too often these days we feel shame and regret for getting caught, not for doing wrong. Jason's statement after his USM encounter is an example of this."

Heath wishes Toothaker well as he works on his recovery, and prays that he will give serious thought to the reality of sin and evil in the world, and turn to the One who came to give us eternal hope.

In Luke 4:18 Jesus said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden..."

"I know it isn't popular to talk about Jesus these days," Said Heath. "But He brings hope and healing. It is too bad that Jesus Christ is now a victim of discrimination in public schools."

An important study was released this month exploring the impact on public safety of legalizing packaged alcohol sales on Sundays. The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Substance Abuse Policy Research Program. It was authored by Dr. Garnett P. McMillan and Dr. Sandra Lapham, and was published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

The report finds a 29 percent increase in alcohol-related crashes and a 42 percent increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities on Sundays in New Mexico after that state allowed Sunday packaged alcohol sales.

Maine is mentioned as one of only five states that has legalized Sunday packaged alcohol sales since 1998. It is also noted that 15 states are currently considering legislation that would repeal current restrictions on selling packaged alcohol on Sundays.

Read the New York Times news story about the report here.

The press release from the Substance Abuse Policy Research Program follows:

REPEALING BLUE LAWS ON SUNDAY ALCOHOL SALES INCREASED ALCOHOL-RELATED CRASHES AND CRASH FATALITIES, ACCORDING TO FIRST STUDY EVER ON TOPIC

New Mexico Study Finds 29% Increase in Sunday Crashes; 42% Increase in Deaths,
As Pressure Mounts in Other States to Repeal Bans of Sunday Sales

Albuquerque, New Mexico (October 3, 2006) "The first study to look at the public health impact of lifting a statewide ban on Sunday packaged alcohol sales found a substantial increase in alcohol-related traffic crashes and fatalities, according to an article published today in the online version of the American Journal of Public Health.

According to the study, since New Mexico lifted its ban on Sunday sales of packaged alcohol, there has been a 29 percent increase in alcohol-related crashes and a 42 percent increase in alcohol-related crash fatalities on Sundays. This increase has meant an additional 543 alcohol-related crashes and 42 alcohol-related crash deaths during five years after the ban was lifted.

Delaware, Maine, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia have lifted similar bans since 1998, despite the lack of data on the impact of such legislation. And many of the 15 states with current bans on Sunday alcohol sales are considering repeal in response to both pressures from the alcohol industry and the need to raise state tax revenues, according to the study.

"For the first time, we have real data on whether blue laws actually protect public health," said study co-author Dr. Garnett McMillan of the Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Today's study finds that the Sunday ban saved lives and prevented hundreds of injuries and fatalities from alcohol-related crashes."

The study, "Legalized Sunday packaged alcohol sales and alcohol-related traffic crashes and crash fatalities in New Mexico" was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Substance Abuse Policy Research Program (SAPRP).

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, New Mexico ranked 8th in the nation in 2005 for alcohol-related crash fatalities per vehicle-mile driven. Prior to July 1, 1995, alcohol could only be purchased in New Mexico bars and restaurants on Sundays. But on that date the state legislature repealed the Sunday ban on packaged alcohol sales, allowing licensed stores to sell alcohol between noon and midnight on Sundays.

Advocates of the repeal argued that it would reduce alcohol-related crashes and fatalities by diverting alcohol consumption from bars to homes, and thus eliminate the need for people to drive home from drinking establishments while alcohol-impaired.

The study authors reviewed all alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in New Mexico between July 1, 1990 and June 30, 2000, and compared the five years before and after the repeal. The study data was derived from Uniform Accident Reports filed by police officers, and covered all reported crashes on public roadways that result in death, personal injury, or $500 or more in property damage, with the reporting officer determining whether alcohol was involved.

The study measured and controlled for historical trends, major holidays, and seasons of the year to ensure that changes in alcohol-related crash rates were not simply attributed to background patterns of motor vehicle crash risks. "For example, we controlled for football season and Super Bowl Sunday," said McMillan.

Comparing pre- and post-repeal data, the authors found that between noon-Sunday and noon-Monday there was a unique rise in both alcohol-related crashes and crash fatalities in the post-repeal period. No other day of the week showed any statistically significant changes, the study reports.

The study revealed 492,396 motor vehicle crashes from 1990-2000, with 45,596 involving alcohol and an average of 12.9 alcohol-related crashes per day. There were 4,620 motor vehicle crash fatalities with 2,341 involving alcohol and an average daily fatality rate of .65 deaths per day.

"By increasing the availability of alcohol on Sundays, you open the door to more opportunities for drinking and driving and the negative consequences that result," said McMillan.

The Substance Abuse Policy Research Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a $66 million program that funds research into policies related to alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime.