[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 133 (Wednesday, December 6, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11312-S11313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING ACT

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, just over 3 years ago, on September 30, 
2003, I held a hearing as chairman of the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Subcommittee on the problem of underage drinking. 
Senator Dodd, who later joined me in crafting a bill to help combat the 
problem, joined me at that hearing. We were there to discuss this 
serious problem affecting the health and well-being of our Nation's 
young people--a problem that has been ignored for too long--a problem 
that kills thousand of America's teenagers.
  We all know that underage drinking is a significant issue for youth 
in this country. We have known that for a very long time. We have known 
that underage drinking often contributes to the 4 leading causes of 
deaths among 15 to 20-year-olds--that 69 percent of youths who died in 
alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the year 2000 involved young 
drinking drivers--that in 1999, nearly 40 percent of people under age 
21 who were victims of drownings, burns, and falls tested positive for 
alcohol.
  We have known that alcohol has been reported to be involved in 36 
percent of homicides, 12 percent of male suicides, and 8 percent of 
female suicides involving people under 21. And we have known that 
underage drinking accounts for 6.5 times more deaths among young people 
than illicit drug use.
  How did we get here? How did our Nation reach this point--a point 
where today, 12 percent of eighth graders--12 and 13-year-olds--binge 
drink? These statistics are frightening. Too many American kids are 
drinking regularly, and they are drinking in quantities that can be of 
great harm to them.
  As a nation, we clearly haven't done enough to address this problem. 
We haven't done enough to acknowledge how prevalent and widespread 
teenage drinking is in this country.
  We haven't done enough to admit that it is a real problem with very 
real and very devastating consequences. We haven't done enough to help 
teach America's children about the dangers of underage drinking. We 
talk about drugs and the dangers of drug use, as we should, but the 
reality is that we, as a society, have become complacent about the 
problem of underage drinking. This has to change. The culture has to 
change.
  In reaction to these problems, I worked with my friend and colleague 
from Connecticut, Senator Dodd, to write a bill that will provide some 
of the tools our communities need to combat underage drinking.
  The Sober Truth on Preventing, STOP, Underage Drinking Act would be 
an important step toward reducing underage drinking on our college 
campuses and in our schools and communities. This bill will provide 
authorization for funding to encourage parental awareness of the 
problem, such as the ongoing Ad Council campaign on underage drinking. 
It will also provide authorization for grants on college campuses and 
in surrounding communities to change the culture of drinking that so 
permeates our institutions of higher education. It will also provide 
grants to our communities to specifically target underage drinking 
reduction, as well as authorize additional research that is so 
important to helping us to further understand this problem and prevent 
the negative consequences associated with it.
  I want to thank Senator Dodd for his hard work on this bill. He has 
been a great champion for the prevention of underage drinking. He is a 
tireless fighter for America's children and youth. He cares about kids. 
He cares about their well-being. I am privileged to have had the 
opportunity to work with him on many pieces of legislation to help 
protect children and promote their health and welfare. I know that 
combating teenage drinking has been and continues to be very important 
to him, and I thank him for his interest in this area. I also thank 
Chairman Enzi and Ranking Member Kennedy for their help in passing this 
important legislation.

[[Page S11313]]

  Kids are beginning to drink earlier and earlier--at younger and 
younger ages--and they are doing so in ways that could negatively 
affect their bodies, their minds, and their futures. I urge swift 
passage of this legislation and look forward to seeing the good work 
that comes from it.

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