2026 -- H 8393

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL OF 2026, TO BE "ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE

STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Casey, J. Brien,
Baginski, Edwards, Bennett, Casimiro, and Solomon

     Date Introduced: April 02, 2026

     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 on 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 benefit 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 and safety threat to our State; and

     WHEREAS, According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH),

approximately 33 percent (12.7 million) of young people aged 12 to 20 have consumed at least

one alcoholic drink in their lives. Similarly, 27 percent (10.4 million) reported that they drank

alcohol in the past year, and 13.3 percent (5.1 million) of young people aged 12 to 20 reported

that they drank alcohol in the past month. In addition, 7.6 percent (2.9 million) reported that they

engaged in binge drinking of alcohol in the past month; and

     WHEREAS, According to the National Center For Health Statistics, collectively,

alcohol-related deaths in the United States cost the United States Economy approximately $249

billion dollars and shorten the lives of those who die by an average of 24 years; and

     WHEREAS, According to Susan G. Komen Foundation, excessive alcohol use is linked

to at least seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, esophagus, larynx (voice box), liver, mouth,

and throat; and

     WHEREAS, According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA), in 2024, there were an estimated total of 3.3 million emergency

room visits in the United States related to alcohol. Overall, alcohol was the most prevalent in

substance-related emergency room visits, with approximately 38.9 percent; and

     WHEREAS, The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that nearly 18 percent

of Rhode Islanders binge drink with approximately 500-600 deaths per year in Rhode Island are

attributable to excessive alcohol use; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

proclaims April of 2026, 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 Executive Office of Health and Human

Services, Jerome Larkin, MD, Director of the Department of Health, and Richard Leclerc,

Director of the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals.

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