| R 199 |
| 2024 -- H 8136 Enacted 04/04/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING APRIL OF 2024, TO BE "ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Casey, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Kazarian, Solomon, Edwards, Voas, Giraldo, and J. Brien |
| Date Introduced: April 04, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, "Alcohol Awareness Month" is a public health program which began in |
| April of 1987, and is organized by the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence as |
| a way of increasing outreach and education regarding the dangers of alcoholism and issues related |
| to alcohol; and |
| WHEREAS, Alcohol abuse affects everyone, not simply the person with the drinking |
| problem. It impacts family, friends, and the workplace. The numerous initiatives promulgated |
| during Alcohol Awareness Month benefits everyone, and all people and organizations are |
| welcome to participate including parents, schools, healthcare facilities, medical professionals, law |
| enforcement, substance abuse organizations, faith-based groups and other important community |
| organizations; and |
| WHEREAS, The disease of addiction, including dangerous alcohol use, continues to |
| devastate Rhode Island's communities and remains a public health emergency that poses a |
| significant public health safety threat to our State; and |
| WHEREAS, According to the National Institute of Health's 2020 Monitoring the Future |
| Survey, alcohol is among the most used substances by both young people and adults in the United |
| States. Their survey results showed that approximately 52 percent of high school seniors used |
| alcohol, with more than 24 percent of people 18 or older admitting that they engaged in binge |
| drinking in the past month. In 2023, more than 140,000 Americans died from alcohol-related |
| causes; and |
| WHEREAS, According to the National Center For Health Statistics, collectively, |
| alcohol-related deaths in the United States costs the United States Economy approximately 249 |
| billion dollars and Americans lose 3.59 million years of potential life due to excessive drinking; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence, |
| excessive alcohol abuse causes 75 percent of esophageal cancers, 36 percent of the cases of |
| primary liver cancer, and nearly 50 percent of cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx. Chronic |
| drinking increases a woman's chance of getting breast cancer by 10 percent, and causes 65 |
| percent of all cases of pancreatitis. Among emergency room patients admitted for injuries, 47 |
| percent tested positive for alcohol and 35 percent were intoxicated. Overall, alcoholics are ten |
| times more likely to develop general carcinoma, and accidents related to alcohol use are among |
| the leading causes of death for teenagers; and |
| WHEREAS, The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that nearly 18 percent |
| of Rhode Islanders over the age of 18 binge drink at least once per month. From 2018 to 2022, |
| approximately 367 deaths per year in Rhode Island are attributable to excessive alcohol abuse; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, The FY 2024, President's Budget includes a total of $10.8 billion for |
| Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims April of 2024, to be "Alcohol Awareness Month"; and be it 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, Richard Charest, Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health |
| and Human Services, Utpala Bandy, MD, MPH, Director of the Rhode Island Department of |
| Health, and Richard Ledere, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, |
| Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. |
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| LC005751 |
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