The National Center For DWI Courts and Beam Global Spirits & Wine Honor Texas Lawmakers
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. [Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO)], theindustry leader in the battle against hardcore drunk driving, and the
National Center for DWI Courts (NCDC) today awarded Rep. Jerry Madden
and Sen. Kel Seliger the National Center for DWI Courts Community Safety
Award for their work to pass legislation that has tripled the number of
DWI Courts established in Texas since 2007. Texas currently has 25 DWI
Courts, including "hybrid" courts that oversee both DWI and drug cases.
House Bill 530 requires a DWI Court in all counties with a population of
200,000 people or more. The bill passed unanimously in both the Texas
House of Representatives and Senate and was signed into law in June 2007.
"We are pleased to honor Rep. Madden and Sen. Seliger," stated David
Wallace, director, National Center for DWI Courts. "DWI Courts save
lives, and through Rep. Madden and Sen. Seliger's work, Texas has
tripled the number of DWI Courts in the state and is a leader in the
battle against hardcore drunk driving."
"Beam Global Spirits & Wine thanks Rep. Madden and Sen. Seliger for
their work to help establish more DWI Courts," said Matt Stanton, vice
president of public affairs, Fortune Brands. "Now in our fourth year
supporting the National Center for DWI Courts, we are committed to
battling hardcore drunk driving through DWI Courts. Texas has been a
leader on this front, and we encourage all states to join us in the
fight to eliminate hardcore drunk driving."
The innovative DWI Court system goes beyond traditional discipline. In
addition to a conviction, DWI Courts provide hardcore drunk driving
offenders with long-term, ongoing accountability and rehabilitation. As
DWI Courts are launched throughout the country, NCDC provides training
and research to the personnel needed to operate them.
Hardcore drunk drivers are drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of
.15 and above and/or are repeat offenders. These drunk drivers are 20
times more likely to be involved in a crash. In Texas, there were nearly
1,500 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2008 with 26 percent of
those deaths caused by hardcore drunk drivers.1
"This is a great honor, and I thank the National Center for DWI Courts
and Beam Global for their support," stated Rep. Jerry Madden, District
67. "DWI Courts have proven that long-term ongoing accountability and
rehabilitation is more effective than punishment alone. I am proud to
support effective and cost-efficient ways to fight alcohol abuse and
reduce crime."
"I appreciate both this award and the shared commitment of my Senate
colleagues for making real progress in terms of the rehabilitation of
individuals with substance abuse problems, and the protection of the
public from those who drive while impaired, while hopefully diverting
people away from expensive prison cells that increase the costs to all
Texas taxpayers," stated Sen. Kel Seliger, District 31.
About NCDC:
The National Center for DWI Courts is a professional services division
of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP),
established in 2007 and founded through a partnership with Beam Global
Spirits & Wine. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the success of
DWI Courts, provide training, technical assistance and research to DWI
Courts, and establish new DWI Courts nationwide. NCDC is sponsored by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of
Transportation, Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of
Justice, Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc, The Century Council, and the
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Inc.
About Beam Global Spirits & Wine:
Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine,
Inc. is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all
corners of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam? Bourbon,
Sauza? Tequila, Canadian Club? Whisky, Courvoisier? Cognac, Maker's
Mark? Bourbon, Laphroaig? Scotch Whisky, Cruzan? Rum, EFFEN? Vodka,
Larios? Gin, Whisky DYC?, Teacher's? Scotch Whisky, DeKuyper? Cordials
and Liqueurs and dui attorney Knob Creek? Bourbon. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part
of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company.
For more information on Beam Global Spirits & Wine, its brands, and its
commitment to social responsibility, visit www.beamglobal.com
and www.drinksmart.com.
? 2010 Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc., Deerfield, Ill.
1 Alcohol-Impaired Driving 2008 Data, NHTSA: DOT HS 811 155
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