2024 -- H 8136

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LC005751

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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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

     Referred To: House read and passed

     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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