DEEP's EnCon Police Launch Sober Boating Campaign

GLASTONBURY, CT — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's Environmental Conservation Police will be conducting "heightened enforcement" details this weekend targeting boating under the influence.

The enforcement efforts are part of the national Operation Dry Water campaign.

EnCon officers will be focused on educating boaters about "safe boating practices," including the state’s boating under the influence laws.

"With the summer boating season under way, and the July 4th holiday approaching, Connecticut EnCon Police are reminding boaters that impaired boating is against the law," DEEP officials said in a news release. "Operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on all bodies of water and can lead to serious injuries and consequences."

In Connecticut it is illegal to operate a vessel with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher - the same as driving a car.

“The accidents and tragedies that happen because individuals chose to drive drunk or impaired, on land or on the water, are preventable. The decision lies with the individual on whether they chose to operate a boat or vehicle while under the influence,” said Mike Lambert, the DEEP Bureau Chief for Outdoor Recreation. “It is our job to do all we can to ensure the safety of our recreational boaters and paddlers. That is why the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police is joining other states and agencies across the country to do our part in keeping boaters safe and preventing accidents related to boating under the influence.”

DEEP officials said alcohol is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths, and a major contributor to accidents.

The national Operation Dry Water campaign will run from Friday through July 1. The goal is to "reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related accidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol use on the water."

Visit operationdrywater.org or ct.gov/deep for more information about boating under the influence.

Photo Credit: CT.gov

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