The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program kicked off its annual Halloween Booze It & Lose It Campaign last Thursday in downtown Chapel Hill.

The campaign consists of a three-pronged approach of strong policies, increased communications and publicity and stepped up law enforcement to minimize impaired driving.

Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program Mark Ezzell says that the program has seen some success.

“We’ve seen our numbers of impaired driving deaths down over 20 percent from last year,” Ezzell says, “but that’s not enough. We’ve got to do so much more to address the issue of impaired driving.”

Ezzel says the campaign will bring checkpoints across the state during the Halloween season, which will include mobile breath alcohol testing units, or “BAT” mobiles.

The program is also holding five other kick-off events on campuses across the state, which will end at UNC on Halloween night.

Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger urges students and citizens to keep safety in mind while heading to Franklin Street this Halloween.

“In Chapel Hill, we love to celebrate; we love to show our creative side; we love to dress up and come to Franklin Street, but we want people to do that in a safe manor,” says Hemminger. “So we say, please leave your alcohol and your weapons, or things that look like weapons, at home and realize that families are out celebrating as well.”

The campus tour finale will take place at the Morehead Planetarium on Halloween at 7 P.M. 

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