2022 -- S 2834

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LC005720

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL OF 2022, AS "ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE

OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senator Cynthia Armour Coyne

     Date Introduced: April 05, 2022

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, Alcohol Awareness Month is a public health program organized by the

National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence as a way of increasing outreach and

education regarding the dangers of alcoholism and issues related to alcohol. The program was

started in April of 1987; and

     WHEREAS, The disease of addiction continues to devastate Rhode Island’s communities

and remains a public health emergency that continues to pose a significant public health and

safety threat to the State, costing hundreds of lives each year; and

     WHEREAS, In addition to opioids and heroin, abuse of other dangerous substances,

including alcohol, is on the rise, and the disease of addiction is not exclusive to any one

substance; and

     WHEREAS, Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic brain disorder that is characterized

by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or

health consequences and often goes untreated. The number of individuals affected by alcoholism

and AUD during the COVID-19 pandemic has risen significantly, and the dangers of excessive

alcohol use should not be ignored; and

     WHEREAS, Alcohol use disorder affects every community and alcohol consumption is

the third-leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to research conducted

in 2018; and

     WHEREAS, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports

that AUD was the most common substance use disorder among adults in the United States in

2018, affecting 14.25 million people; and

     WHEREAS, In 2019, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

reported that around 58,000 Rhode Island adults qualify as suffering from alcohol use disorder

and 53,000 Rhode Island adults need, but are not receiving, AUD treatment at a specialty facility.

That means that 91.38 percent of Rhode Island adults suffering from alcohol use disorder need,

but are not receiving, AUD treatment; and

     WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report states that in Rhode Island there were approximately 339 alcohol

attributable deaths each year and 27.6 years of life lost per alcohol-attributable death from 2011

to 2015; and

     WHEREAS, Nationally, alcohol-related disorders are a leading cause of 7-day and 30-

day hospital readmissions. In 2013, alcohol use and dependence was the number one reason for

potentially preventable hospital readmission related to a substance use disorder initial admission

in Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, Emergency department visits for alcohol-related diagnoses increased by 47

percent for both men and women from 2006-2014, and the costs for such visits increased from

$4.1 billion to $15.3 billion in the same time period. In 2016, alcohol-related disorders were the

tenth most common reason among all Rhode Islanders, for a visit to a Rhode Island emergency

department. In 2014, alcohol abuse was eighth in reasons for potentially preventable emergency

department visits in Rhode Island and it was second in those covered by Medicaid; and

     WHEREAS, Alcohol use has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to

RTI International, alcohol consumption, exceeding drinking guidelines, and binge drinking

increased from February 2020 to November 2020. Specialists at hospitals across the country said

rates of admissions for alcoholic liver disease have leapt by up to 50 percent since March 2020;

and

     WHEREAS, A 2021 article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine stated “the full

impact of COVID-19 on alcohol use is not yet known. However, the current rise in drinking

during the acute phase of the pandemic mandates a deliberate and clear public health and medical

response and a multifaceted approach”; and

     WHEREAS, Meeting people where they are in their recovery journey is a critical

component of public health and every setting of care should be aware of the signs of dangerous

alcohol use, trained in screening and assessing for, and treating, alcohol use disorder; and

     WHEREAS, In December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L.

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116-260) was enacted, which included $1.65 billion in supplemental SAPT Block Grant funding

provided as part of the law’s section dedicated to COVID-19 relief; and

     WHEREAS, In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2) was

enacted, which included $1.5 billion in longer term supplemental SAPT Block Grant funding;

now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby commemorates April

of 2022, as “Alcohol Awareness Month” in the State of Rhode Island; and it be further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the Governor of the State

of Rhode Island, the Honorable Daniel McKee, the Executive Office of Health and Human

Services, the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, the

Department of Corrections, and the Department of Health prioritize increasing public and

provider awareness of the health risks associated with dangerous alcohol consumption, the

consumption of alcohol with other substances, the risks of alcohol overdose, screening and

assessing for alcohol use disorder, and the availability of treatment for alcohol use disorder in

Rhode Island, including primary care, hospital, and criminal justice settings; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the Governor of the State

of Rhode Island, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Department of

Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, the Department of Corrections,

and the Department of Health consider utilizing the supplemental SAPT Block Grant funding

provided by the Consolidated Appropriations Act and the American Rescue Plan for these efforts;

and it be further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Daniel McKee, Governor of the

State of Rhode Island, the Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human

Services, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental

Disabilities and Hospitals, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, and the

Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health.

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LC005720

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