| R 222 |
| 2023 -- H 6250 Enacted 04/04/2023 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| PROCLAIMING APRIL OF 2023 TO BE "ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Representatives Casey, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Craven, Caldwell, Dawson, O'Brien, Phillips, and Marszalkowski |
| Date Introduced: April 04, 2023 |
| 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 the most used substance by both young people and adults in the United States. |
| Their survey results showed that more than 55 percent of high school seniors used alcohol, with |
| more than 25 percent of people 18 or older admitting that they engaged in binge drinking in the |
| past month. Approximately 95,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes each year; and |
| WHEREAS, According to the National Center For Health Statistics, alcohol-related |
| deaths in the United States increased from 39,000 in 2019, to 40,000 in 2020, and preliminary |
| data from 2021 shows that the number of alcohol-related deaths increased again to 52,000. The |
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that excessive alcohol use costs the United |
| States Economy approximately 249 billion dollars; 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, accidents related to alcohol use are among the |
| leading causes of death for teenagers, and more than 140,000 Americans die from the effects of |
| alcohol yearly; 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. Annually, 493 deaths |
| in Rhode Island are attributable to excessive alcohol abuse. Overall, alcohol related deaths per |
| capita in Rhode Island increased by 39 percent from 2015 to 2019; and |
| WHEREAS, In December of 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (P.L. |
| 116-260) was enacted, which included $1.65 billion in the supplemental Substance Abuse |
| Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant funding as provided as part of the law’s section |
| dedicated to COVID-19 relief and in March of 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (P.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 House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| proclaims April of 2023 to be “Alcohol Awareness Month”; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this House 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 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, Ana P. Novais, Acting Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of |
| Health and Human Services, Patricia A. Coyne-Fugue, Esq., Director of the Rhode Island |
| Department of Corrections, Utpala Bandy, MD, MPH, Interim Director of The Rhode Island |
| Department of Health, and Richard Charest, Director of the Rhode Island Department of |
| Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. |
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| LC000246 |
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