| R 215 |
| 2026 -- H 8393 Enacted 04/02/2026 |
| 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 |
| 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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| LC004529 |
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