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ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Naval Academy officials say the school’s new “0-0-1-3” alcohol abuse prevention policy, while still a work in progress, is showing signs of being a success since being implemented in August.

Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, speaking at a meeting of the academy’s board of visitors Monday, told members of the board that he is “guardedly optimistic” about the policy’s results so far but did not share specific statistics to back up the claim during the public portion of the meeting.

“So far, it’s headed in the right direction,” Rempt said.

Although he could not give figures on alcohol-related incidents involving midshipmen, Rempt pointed to what he called increased self-policing by the brigade of midshipmen and the cooperation he’s received from local establishments in Annapolis in enforcing the policy as signs it was working.

The subject of alcohol abuse received the most questioning from members of the board during the meeting. Two members, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., pressed Rempt and Rear Adm. (select) Bruce Grooms, the academy commandant, for solid figures to prove the policy is working.

“I know we don’t have a final result. [But] can you give us some numbers?” Cummings asked.

Rempt could not immediately provide statistics but promised he would soon make figures available to the board.

The 0-0-1-3 rule, which is similar to a policy enacted in Navy Region Southwest in July, applies to all midshipmen regardless of age, gender or weight. It means:

• Zero drinks for those under the age of 21.

• Zero drinks for anyone before driving.

• Those of age can have no more than one drink per hour.

• Those of age can have no more than three drinks total per occasion.

To help enforce the policy, midshipmen are now subject to Breathalyzer tests that are done randomly by company. People who appear drunk on the yard also are subject to Breathalyzer testing.

According to academy policy, anyone who found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 to 0.15 or who had four to five drinks is considered out of the “responsible” zone and subject to intervention; they can be punished if they are repeat offenders. Having five to eight drinks or testing higher than a 0.15 BAC is a conduct offense; second offenses are considered a major conduct offense. It is also a major conduct offense for midshipmen to have more than eight drinks on an occasion or have a BAC of 0.2 or higher. Those who do are subject to separation.

Grooms estimated that 6,200 Breathalyzer tests had been given since the implementation of the policy. Of those, 6,100 were negative, and some of the positive tests were not in violation of the alcohol policy, which does not punish mids of legal drinking age who test below the 0.08 legal limit.

Two midshipmen who spoke before the board of visitors agreed that the new policy had made a positive impact on reducing binge drinking incidents at the academy, and pointed specifically to the Breathalyzer tests as an effective measure.

“Just the fear of that Breathalyzer … that fear keeps people under control,” Midshipman 1st Class Scott Buchner said, adding that he had seen fewer instances of upperclassmen returning to campus drunk this semester than in the past.

Heavy drinking has been a common theme in two recent high-profile rape cases at the academy. Testimony in the court-martial of Midshipman 1st Class Lamar Owens, who was acquitted of rape, detailed an alcohol-fueled night of partying in Annapolis, while the Article 32 hearing of Midshipman 1st Class Kenny Ray Morrison in November contained allegations of the rape and drugging of two female midshipmen after two separate off-campus incidents where alcohol again played a large part.

Another alcohol-related incident involving a midshipman occurred over the Thanksgiving holiday, when Midshipman 2nd Class Charles Benjamin Carr, 20, was killed in a single-car accident while riding in passenger seat of a vehicle driven by a man who was allegedly drunk at the time.