With the Labor Day weekend quickly approaching, local law enforcement are ramping up efforts to remind Ohio drivers not to get behind the wheel after they have been drinking or are otherwise impaired.

Officers, deputies and troopers are preparing pull out all the stops to apprehended those who break those rules.

Representatives from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bellefontaine Police Department, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Russells Point P.D. and the West Liberty P.D. were invited to a kick-off party Tuesday morning Aug. 18 for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

Wrock Bottom Bar, 121 W. Chillicothe Ave., Bellefontaine, hosted the kick-off event, serving coffee and doughnuts to the officers, deputies and troopers in attendance.

The “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” enforcement effort, organized by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, started Aug. 19 and runs through Sept. 7, with a heavy focus on Labor Day Weekend.

In kicking off the initiative, Marysville Post Commander Lt. Matt Himes of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the campaign’s purpose is to get the word out about how important is it that the public should know about the dangers – and consequences – of getting behind the wheel while impaired.

“It’s bringing education to the motoring public,” Lt. Himes said of the special enforcement effort.

“Ultimately, we want to deter people from getting behind the wheel after they’ve been drinking and that if they do get behind the wheel while impaired, hopefully we can get them stopped before they injure themselves or someone else.”