With the recent passing of Melanie's Law, Massachusetts is in compliance with federal standards for drunk driving laws for the first time in state history.
The law, enacted Oct. 28, bears the name of Melanie Powell of Marshfield, Mass., who was 13 years old when she was struck and killed by a drunk driver while walking with friends to the beach after a sleepover party on July 25, 2003.
The new law increases the severity of punishment for driving under the influence and closes loopholes in the system that had previously allowed repeat offenders to get back behind the wheel.
Margot Abels, the Director of Drug and Alcohol Education Services at Health Services, said the new legislation will likely lead to an increased crackdown on sales of alcohol to minors and the use of fake IDs.
She also said the fear of legal complications associated with Melanie's Law could increase people's concerns about tangential involvement with drunk driving.
"People are at a loss for preventative strategies around the response to drinking and driving, so they move towards a harsher, punitive response," Abels said. She hopes increased education about the law will lead to increased prevention.
Several Tufts students chose to explore that problem in Professor Roberta Oster Sachs' Ex College class "Producing Films for Social Change."
On Monday night, Oster Sachs' students screened the documentaries they had been working on all semester. One group's film focused on the fight to pass Melanie's Law.
Senior Leah Tucker was one of the group members who worked on the documentary.
"I wasn't immediately passionate [about any topic] because I didn't feel connected to any specific person," she said.
She searched for "car accidents" online and found an editorial that detailed Melanie's grandfather Ron Bersani's fight for tougher repeat drunk-driving legislation in Massachusetts.
"I contacted Bersani, we chatted for a long time, and he was happy to be involved [with the film]. His story was just so powerful," Tucker said.
Bersani's effort to pass Melanie's Law was a long struggle. The Tufts students involved with producing the documentary were impressed with his determination to bring about social change.
"Without him, [Melanie's Law] would have never happened. It took so much manpower and energy on his part," sophomore Eli Netter said.
Tucker wants the film to serve as an educational tool and bring the new legislation to the attention of the Boston area and the Tufts community.
"Maybe I was just a little cynical, but before I heard Bersani's story, I didn't believe that one person could truly get involved and make a difference," Tucker said. She called the new law "a baby step" in the direction of prevention.
A provision in the law gives prosecutors the power to introduce certified court documents to prove that a repeat offender has been previously convicted.
Repeat offenders will then be required to install a device that measures the driver's Blood Alcohol Content and prevents the vehicle from starting if the driver is intoxicated. The device must be installed in any car owned or operated by the repeat offender.
The minimum jail sentence for an individual found guilty of manslaughter by motor vehicle was also increased from two-and-a-half to five years.
The law has been criticized for not taking a more treatmen or prevention-oriented approach, but its biggest supporter remains optimistic.
"We'll never know how many lives Melanie's Law will save, but we have faith it will be many, so today, we thank you Melanie," Bersani told the Boston CBS affiliate after the law was passed.
