"No Refusal" Sends 31 People to Jail

myFOXaustin(AUSTIN) - Austin Police Departments "No Refusal" initiative is seeing results.

Thirty-one people were arrested Saturday night. That number is up from last year at 26.

Eighteen people gave breath samples and failed while 11 people refused to give blood but had to because a judge okayed a search warrant. One person willingly gave blood while another legally had to because of a prior DWI.

"I don't know how to state it any more seriously. It's not just a choice you make to drink and drive but it's a crime you're committing when you make that choice," said Lieutenant Randy Pogue, with the Austin Police Department, who says the initiative is working.

Some Austinites say the program should make a difference in the way people make decisions when they're drinking. Many people who spoke with FOX 7 say they usually plan their nights which include designated drivers.

Austin Henderson says if he drinks, it’s mostly at home or a friend’s house. But if he goes out, he plans ahead.

If I'm going out and I know I'm driving, I usually drink slowly and don't hit it hard. In that situation I've bummed rides, called a cab a couple of times. I've just seen too much of those just close to me. It's not worth it."