Arizona Bloggers: Boating Education to combat Alcohol Related Boating Fatalities & Accidents

This opportunity is only for Arizona Bloggers who live in Arizona and have also indicated an Arizona address in Social Spark.  

I believe we are the first Government Agency to advertise with IZEA so please do a good job getting the word out about this Public Safety and Educational Message.  We are looking for maximum traffic and reach so please act accordingly submitting your posts to social networks such as (etc):

Digg.com 
Technorati.com
Del.icio.us
Propeller.com
StumbleUpon.com
Reddit.com 
Fark.com 
Newsvine.com 
Slashdot.org 
Mybloglog.com

Every Year in Arizona Alcohol is directly related to fatal boating accidents.  50% of all fatal boating accidents in Arizona were alcohol related in 2007 and 1/3 of all fatal boating accidents nationwide are alcohol related.

In 2007 Arizona watercraft law enforcement agencies arrested over 350 people who were operating watercraft under the influence (OUI) of alcohol.

Operating a boat while impaired is just as dangerous — and just as illegal — as drinking while driving a car. The legal limit for blood alcohol is .08 in both cases. The penalties are similar, too; like driving under the influence, operating a boat under the influence is a Class One misdemeanor.  A sober operator should be designated.

However, unlike driving a car, boating safety education is not required to operate a boat in the state of Arizona. Educated boaters are 70 percent less likely to be involved in a boating accident. Classes are offered in Arizona statewide, or can be taken online at www.azgfd.gov/boating. In addition to learning about the effects of alcohol, a boating safety education course covers other “need to know” boating topics such as carbon monoxide poisoning, life jacket wear, required safety equipment, rules of navigation, and other boating safety laws and responsibilities.

Please find out more information here: 

<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/oui" rel="nofollow">Boating Operating Under the Influence</a>
<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/boating" rel="nofollow">Arizona Boating</a>
<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed" rel="nofollow">Boating Education Online</a>
2007 Arizona Boating Safety Report http://www.azgfd.gov/outdoor_recreation/documents/2007_Boating_Safety_Report.pdf

You must embed both of the below videos into your post.  Please watch them as well (they are short)

Boat Sober Commercial:

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_6xhrvrJGs4&hl=en&rel=0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_6xhrvrJGs4&hl=en&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Boating in Arizona:

<embed src="http://www.livevideo.com/flvplayer/embed/9AA63CB47DDC4A9EB2C783E4ACD25D7D&thumb=0&rel=0"" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" WIDTH="445" HEIGHT="369" wmode="transparent"></embed>

You must also include these three links in your post (one will be the required link):

<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/oui" rel="nofollow">Boating Operating Under the Influence</a>
<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/boating" rel="nofollow">Arizona Boating</a>
<a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/boat-ed" rel="nofollow">Boating Education Online</a>

Please remember to Boat Safe, Boat Smart, Boat Sober and take a boating education class in person or online. <a href="http://www.azgfd.gov/boating" rel="nofollow">Boating Education</a>