The research data, which is an integral component of the overall campaign to reduce problems related to US youth and binge drinking in Baja California, shows a 31.7 percent reduction in pedestrians crossing back from Tijuana between midnight Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday. This significant drop was calculated through statistical analysis which factors out such influences as rainy weather and reduced traffic due to elections in Mexico.

While Operation Safe Crossing focuses on enforcement, it is just one component of an on-going cross-border project spearheaded by the Institute for Health Advocacy (IHA) to reduce public health and safety problems related to US teen and binge drinking in Baja California. The overall project engages broad-based community involvement to implement an integrated public health approach to permanently reduce alcohol-related crimes and violence in both of these border communities. Other major components of the project include ID training, Responsible Beverage Service training, work with colleges and universities, reduction of advertising, providing a door to alcohol treatment, and developing a bi-national youth service center. Another focus of the project is to support public policies including those which prohibit alcohol advertising to those under 21 and making it a clear violation for individuals under 21 to be in public with measurable levels of alcohol in their systems.

"The new data showing the reduction of partiers reinforces exactly what all of us have been seeing every week," stated IHA’s Executive Director, James Baker. "It has certainly been our intention to reduce the number of partiers, but the reductions have been swifter and greater than we expected due to the high level of cooperation on both sides of the border."

"We have been seeing a general reduction in the late night party crowd on all levels," said Lt. Vince Villalvazo of the San Diego Police Department Southern Division. "People are beginning to recognize these problems for what they are, and they are recognizing that law enforcement agencies are enforcing alcohol-related laws on both sides of the border. We will be deploying the multi-agency Operation Safe Crossing again this weekend."

"It is gratifying to see that US residents are getting the message that Baja California is not the anything-goes party destination they may have believed it was," stated Roberto Sanchez Osorio, Public Information Officer for the Tijuana Secretary of Public Safety. "We have been arresting unruly US partiers in Tijuana left and right and others have begun to get the message. As we continue to reduce these alcohol-related problems, we can build the kind of quality tourism both of our countries want."

In addition to the greater enforcement of alcohol laws in Tijuana, officials there have implemented an extensive Responsible Beverage Service training program to help the clubs in Tijuana improve their marketing and service practices.

According to recent news stories, a national survey commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 96 percent of Americans are concerned about teen drinking and that 99 percent are concerned about drunk driving. The study also reported that Americans strongly support specific policies to curb youth drinking which include limits on alcohol advertising, penalties for adult providers of alcohol and alcohol server training.

"These recently reported national figures reflect the concern that community members have been expressing regarding this cross-border drinking issue," stated Baker. "People are tiring of the alcohol-related vehicle crashes, stabbings, rapes and other problems."