This Provider Profile highlights the impactful work taking place across Kent County, South County, and by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Rhode Island to raise awareness about the increased risk of impaired and drunk driving during the summer months. Through community outreach, education, and prevention initiatives, these efforts help promote safer roads/waterways and encourage responsible decision-making during one of the year’s highest-risk seasons for impaired driving.
Kent County
This summer, the Kent County Prevention Coalition (KCPC) launched the Boat Safe, Come Home Safe campaign, a boating safety initiative focused on raising awareness about boating under the influence (BUI) and encouraging responsible choices on Rhode Island’s waterways.
As part of this initiative, KCPC partnered with the Warwick Police Department to distribute educational resource bags during boating compliance checks. The bags included boating safety information, BUI prevention materials, and practical giveaways to help reinforce safe and responsible boating throughout the summer.
Each Boat Safe, Come Home Safe resource bag featured the Know Your Role for a Great Boat Day boating safety infographic, MADD’s boating under the influence educational card, which reminds boaters that the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is the same on the water as it is on the road (0.08%), a floating keychain featuring a BUI prevention message, and additional items generously provided by MADD, including lens cleaning cloths, lip balm, pens, and car fresheners. We appreciate MADD for sharing educational materials and resources to support this outreach effort, as well as for their continued dedication to preventing impaired driving and boating under the influence across Rhode Island.
Throughout the summer, KCPC Prevention Intern Emma supported the campaign by creating prevention-focused social media content highlighting boating safety, responsible celebrations during major events such as the FIFA World Cup, community programs, and other substance use prevention resources. Her work helped extend the campaign’s reach while showcasing C3 Wellbeing’s commitment to supporting healthier individuals and communities across Rhode Island.
Together, these efforts help promote safer waterways and healthier communities by encouraging everyone to Boat Safe. Come Home Safe.
To learn more about KCPC’s prevention initiatives and upcoming community events, follow C3 Wellbeing on Facebook and Instagram.
South County
- Impaired Driving Geofencing Campaign (University of Rhode Island): Implemented a targeted digital awareness campaign around the University of Rhode Island to educate young adults (ages 18–25) on the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol, cannabis, and polysubstance use. Social media content used youth-friendly messaging and visuals to promote safer decision-making.
- Law Enforcement Party Patrols and Compliance Checks: Allocated grant funding to local police departments to support party patrols, compliance checks, and impaired driving enforcement efforts. Activities included increased enforcement during holidays, community events, university move-in periods, boating safety patrols, and alcohol-related gatherings to reduce underage drinking, alcohol possession, and impaired driving.
- Responsible Beverage Service (TIPS) Trainings: Coordinated and facilitated free TIPS (Training for Intervention Procedures) trainings for bars, restaurants, breweries, and liquor retailers. Trainings equip alcohol servers and sellers with the skills to prevent underage sales, over-service, intoxication, and impaired driving while supporting compliance with state alcohol server training requirements.
- Narragansett Lions Club TIPS Concessions Training: Trained more than 40 Narragansett Lions Club volunteers through the TIPS Concessions program in preparation for the annual Blessing of the Fleet festival, which attracts nearly 30,000 attendees. The training promotes responsible alcohol service and helps prevent underage drinking, intoxication, and impaired driving at large-scale community events.
- TIPS University Training Program (University of Rhode Island): Coordinated TIPS University trainings for more than 150 members of Greek Life leadership, including chapter presidents, vice presidents, and risk management chairs. The program equips students with intervention, communication, and decision-making skills to address high-risk drinking behaviors and reduce alcohol-related harms, including impaired driving.
- Fake ID Detection Training for Retailers and Law Enforcement: Organized specialized fake ID detection trainings for alcohol retailers and law enforcement personnel led by an experienced liquor inspector. Trainings focused on counterfeit ID trends, verification techniques, policy implementation, and strategies to prevent underage alcohol sales, identify intoxicated individuals, and reduce impaired driving.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD RI)
