For high school students everywhere, prom and graduation are two of the most highly anticipated events of the year. We want this time of year to be a time of celebration not tragedy. That’s why the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) is rolling out a statewide billboard prevention and awareness campaign, “Buyers Beware”, to remind all citizens that purchasing or providing alcohol to minors is not only wrong – it is against the law and can result in hefty fines and jail time.

Over the next 4 weeks, the Buyers Beware Billboard campaign will make more than 875,000 impressions via 10 strategically located billboards throughout all 3 counties in Delaware. “I am asking my fellow Delawarean’s to join me in making a new or renewed commitment to being responsible and to never be a party to underage drinking,” said John Yeomans, Director of the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement.

Statistics show that Prom-Graduation season (April, May and June) is the most dangerous time for teens. One-third of the alcohol-related traffic fatalities involving teens each year occur during those months. Underage drinking plays a substantial role in all three leading causes of death among teens which are unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle fatalities and drowning), suicides, and homicides.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there are approximately 11 million underage drinkers in the United States. By the age of 18, more than 70 percent of teens have had a drink. And where are these youths obtaining their alcohol? Teens get alcohol with a wink and a nod from the adults they know such as their parents, adult friends and older siblings. Sadly, adults in our community are contributing to the problem.

Nationally in 2009, 33 percent of all 15 to 20 year old drivers who were killed in crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .01 or higher; 28% had a BAC level of .08 or higher. In that same year in Delaware 23% of all alcohol related traffic fatalities were involving drivers under 25 years of age. These facts are both tragic and unacceptable. Adults purchasing or obtaining and providing alcohol to minors leads to these adverse consequences. Underage drinking is not a rite of passage and shouldn’t be deemed as “cool”.

The Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement encourages citizens to report underage drinking or sales by calling our Anonymous Tip Line at 1-800-EYES-EARS (1-800-393-7327) or via the internet by visiting www.delaware.crimestoppersweb.com.

Funding for this billboard campaign has been provided by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

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Media Contact:
John Yeomans, Director
john.yeomans@delaware.gov
(302) 741-2719

Dover – The Delaware Lottery is pleased to announce the launch of its free mobile iGaming applications for iOS devices. The mobile apps are now available for download from each of the three Delaware Casino online gaming sites: (www.delawarepark.com/igaming/, onlinegaming.doverdowns.com/, www.harringtongamingonline.com/) and from the Apple App Store.

The three new apps now make it easier for Delaware players to enjoy their favorite casino games “on the go” for real money via WiFi networks. The apps are compatible with iOS devices only (iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch) and you must be 21 to play and located in Delaware.

“This is an exciting moment for iGaming in Delaware”, said Lottery Director Vernon Kirk. “Players can now find convenience and entertainment in playing casino games on their iOS mobile devices, and it’s just in time for tourists visiting our amazing Delaware beaches this summer.”

Wilmington DE.  Deadlines for Christina School District residents to vote by absentee ballot in the May 27th Christina School District Referendum are approaching. Act now if you need to vote by Absentee Ballot.

Residents of the Christina School District who need to vote by Absentee Ballot must submit their Absentee Affidavits by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 22nd in order to have ballots mailed to them. People requesting that the Department mail them absentee ballots may submit their completed Absentee Affidavits by FAX to (302) 577-6545 or by email to absentee@delaware.gov.

Those people who want to vote in person at the Department’s offices in the Carvel State Office Building, 820 N French St in Wilmington can do so on Thursday, May 21st and Friday, May 22nd from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Tuesday, May 26th from 8:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Voters who were mailed ballots must return them to the Department by 8 p.m. on May 27th in order for them to be counted.

Contact: Howard Sholl, Department of Elections for New Castle County, (302) 577-3464

Businesses Can Continue To Purchase Large Group Health Insurance Plans

 Aetna and Highmark Will Offer Transitional Renewal Opportunity

(DOVER, DE) –Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart announced today that Aetna Health, Inc. and Highmark BlueCross BlueShield Delaware will offer businesses employing 51 to 100 workers the opportunity to renew their group health insurance policies at “large group” rates for policy plan years beginning on or before October 1, 2016.  Commissioner Stewart issued a departmental bulletin earlier this year notifying issuers in the large group market about the opportunity provided by the Affordable Care Act.

“The large group renewal offer is welcome news for Delaware businesses of this size who currently purchase insurance in the large group market,” said Stewart. “Beginning January 1, 2016, the ACA will redefine these companies as small businesses, who would then have to shop for a plan in the small group market.  Because of the accommodation I am announcing today, these companies can continue to purchase health coverage from Aetna and Highmark at large group rates until October 1, 2016. The large group market generally offers lower rates.”

For more information, please visit the DOI’s Bulletins page, or go to http://tinyurl.com/kp794gt. See bulletin No. 75, under the “Domestic/Foreign Insurers Bulletins” category.

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For Immediate Release | Contact: Jerry Grant | (302) 674-7303

Delaware Department of Insurance | www.delawareinsurance.gov | 302.674.7300

More news from the Department of Insurance: http://www.delawareinsurance.gov/newsroom.shtml

Wilmington. The May 27th Christina School District Referendum features 4 non-school polling places.

• Carvel State Office Building, 820 N French St, Wilmington, 19801
• Quaker Hill Place Apartments, 200 N Washington St, Wilmington 19801
• Bear Library,  101 Governor’s Pl, Bear, 19701
• First Presbyterian Church, 292 W Main St, Newark, 19711

The two polling places in Wilmington give Christina residents who work in Wilmington the opportunity to vote during the day instead of after work. The two additional polling places give Christina residents the opportunity to vote without going to a school. Polls are open from 10 a.m; to 8 p.m. on May 27th.  Find information about the referendum and the full list of polling places on the Department’s web site.

Contact: Howard Sholl, Department of Elections for New Castle County, (302) 577-3464