Labor Day Booze It & Lose It Enforcement Campaign Kicks Off Statewide Today

RALEIGH – State and local officials have a simple message – never drink and drive.

Doing so this weekend could mean a trip to jail rather than to the beach or pool.

From today (Aug. 29) through Sept. 11, law enforcement statewide will be stepping up patrols to stop impaired drivers during the annual Labor Day Booze It & Lose It campaign.

Driving while impaired is against the law and could be deadly, and expensive. People charged with DWI can lose their license and pay thousands of dollars in court fees.

“By finding a sober ride home, you can prevent a fun summer night from turning tragic,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “More than 400 North Carolina families lost loved ones last year in alcohol-related crashes, and if we can stop even one family from experiencing this kind of loss, it will have been worth it.”

In 2021, 423 people died on North Carolina roads due to alcohol-related crashes, including 15 during the Labor Day Booze It & Lose It enforcement campaign period.

Increased enforcement during specific campaign periods year-round is a key part of making North Carolina roads safer. That’s especially important this year, as officials seek to reduce the number of traffic fatalities, which in 2021 marked the most traffic deaths in North Carolina since 1973. 

Even with the success of Booze It & Lose It, more than 9,000 people have lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes in North Carolina since the program’s introduction in 1994.

During enforcement campaigns, law enforcement agencies increase the number of saturation patrols, set up checking stations, and use local news media to reach out to all drivers.