[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8682-H8684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SUPPORTING THE WE DON'T SERVE TEENS CAMPAIGN

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1042) supporting the We Don't Serve Teens 
campaign, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1042

       Whereas the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 
     conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
     Administration estimates there are 10,700,000 underage 
     alcoholic beverage drinkers in the United States;
       Whereas research shows that young people who start drinking 
     alcoholic beverages before the age of 15 are 4 times more 
     likely to develop an alcohol-related disorder later in life;
       Whereas surveys show that 17 percent of 8th graders, 33 
     percent of high school sophomores, and 47 percent of high 
     school seniors

[[Page H8683]]

     report recent drinking of alcoholic beverages;
       Whereas in a 2003 survey of such drinkers ages 10 to 18, 65 
     percent said they got the alcohol from family members or 
     friends--some took alcohol from their home or a friend's home 
     without permission, and in other cases adults, siblings, or 
     friends provided the alcohol;
       Whereas the Surgeon General issued a national Call to 
     Action against underage drinking in March 2007, asking 
     Americans to do more to stop current underage drinkers from 
     using alcohol and to keep other youth from starting to drink 
     alcohol before the age of 21;
       Whereas the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free 
     initiative is a coalition of Governors' spouses, Federal 
     agencies, and public and private organizations which 
     specifically targets prevention of drinking in the 9- to 15-
     year-old age group;
       Whereas the National Alliance to Prevent Underage Drinking 
     is a coalition of public health, law enforcement, religious, 
     treatment and prevention, and other organizations with the 
     goal of supporting and promoting implementation of a 
     comprehensive strategy to reduce underage drinking;
       Whereas the best protections against underage drinking are 
     comprehensive prevention and enforcement strategies that 
     include educating parents and members of the community;
       Whereas beverage alcohol is a unique product and is 
     regulated in such a way as to encourage social 
     responsibility;
       Whereas parents should be encouraged to talk to their 
     children about the dangers of underage drinking;
       Whereas the goal of the We Don't Serve Teens campaign is to 
     educate parents and community leaders about effective ways of 
     reducing underage drinking;
       Whereas the Federal Trade Commission has partnered with 
     other Government entities, members of the beverage alcohol 
     industry, and members of the advocacy community to educate 
     the public on the dangers of underage drinking;
       Whereas the Federal Trade Commission has created a Web 
     site, www.dontserveteens.gov, as a resource for parents, 
     educators, and community leaders concerned with underage 
     drinking;
       Whereas Congress has demonstrated its commitment to the 
     prevention of underage drinking by enacting the Sober Truth 
     on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (STOP), which recognizes 
     that the continued State regulation of all three tiers of the 
     beverage alcohol industry (manufacturer, wholesaler, and 
     retailer), as well as of the sale, distribution, 
     transportation, and importation of alcohol is critical to 
     preventing access to alcohol by persons under 21 years of 
     age; and
       Whereas the We Don't Serve Teens campaign seeks to unite 
     State officials, business leaders, parents, community 
     leaders, and all three tiers of the beverage alcohol industry 
     in fighting underage drinking, and unites all those 
     participants in a concerted effort to protect America's 
     youth: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of campaigns working to 
     improve long-term public health and well being, including 
     campaigns that work to prevent underage drinking of alcoholic 
     beverages, such as the We don't Serve Teens Campaign;
       (2) encourages Americans to utilize resources, including 
     the Web site of the Federal Trade Commission at 
     www.dontserveteens.gov and the Web site of the National 
     Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at 
     www.alcoholfreekids.org, that provide a wealth of information 
     beneficial to combating and reducing such underage drinking; 
     and
       (3) commends the leadership and continuing efforts of all 
     groups working to reduce such underage drinking, including 
     the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Health and 
     Human Services, State and local officials, law enforcement, 
     public health organizations, community groups, and the 
     beverage alcohol industry.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1042, supporting the We 
Don't Serve Teens Campaign.
  Underage drinking is an ongoing problem in our country, as over half 
of high school seniors drink alcoholic beverages, while more than a 
quarter of them engage in binge drinking. Binge drinking at a young age 
is an especially troubling activity, as those teens are more 
susceptible to both alcohol addiction and dependence.
  Besides binge drinking, teens who drink are more likely to engage in 
other risky behavior, including smoking, having sex without birth 
control, and drinking and driving. This last behavior should be a 
particular concern to everyone as the combination of inexperience 
behind the wheel and alcohol often results in a deadly conclusion.
  Currently, car crashes rank as the leading cause of death among 
individuals ages 15 to 20. We must all work to prevent such tragedies 
from occurring.
  The resolution before us supports the goals and ideals of campaigns 
working to improve long-term health, encourages Americans to use 
resources to help combat underage drinking, and commends organizations 
that are already working to reduce underage drinking.
  I want to thank my colleague, Representative Bono Mack, for her 
leadership on this resolution. It's an important issue to address.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in support 
of its adoption.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I will yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  And I do rise in support of House Resolution 1042.
  Since Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age in 1984, teen 
drinking rates have dropped; 25 percent fewer high school seniors drink 
than in 1983. But despite these gains, many teens still drink, and when 
they do, it can be to excess, with 25 percent of seniors reporting 
binge drinking.
  Mr. Speaker, adolescent years can be fraught with peril. It is said 
that being a teenager is risky business. Adding alcohol to the mix can 
compound the difficulties, and especially when driving, being behind 
the wheel of a car. Drunk driving is the leading cause of death among 
people ages 15 to 20. These crashes claim and kill almost 2,000 
teenagers each year; and in 65 percent of them, the kids got the 
alcohol without permission from family or friends.
  The best protections against underage drinking are prevention and 
enforcement strategies by parents and members of the community. Parents 
should take the time to discuss with their children the dangers of 
underage drinking, and can use the Federal Trade Commission's Web site 
as a resource for parents, educators and community leaders concerned 
about underage drinking.
  The We Don't Serve Teens campaign has worked to unite State 
officials, business leaders, parents and all three tiers of the 
beverage alcohol industry in fighting underage drinking, and unites all 
of those participants in a concerted effort to protect America's youth.
  I do want to thank the sponsor of the resolution, Mrs. Bono Mack of 
California, for raising public awareness and her continued effort to 
reduce underage drinking.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.
  Having no additional requests for time on my side, I will yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard).
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1042, 
which supports the We Don't Serve Teens campaign.
  I commend my California colleague, Mary Bono Mack, for her leadership 
in offering this resolution, and for highlighting the public health 
crisis of underage drinking in our country. This crisis is real, and 
the impact on the health and safety of our children is profound.
  During the 10 years I've been working on this issue, one thing has 
been made perfectly clear: underage drinking and its serious 
consequences are not inevitable. From research, we know that parents 
are the leading influence over their children's decision to drink or 
not drink alcohol. Simply stated, when parents talk, kids really do 
listen. Unfortunately, many parents under estimate the problem of 
underage drinking in their communities and therefore do not talk to 
their children about the dangers of alcohol consumption.
  The facts are, however, that each year, 10.8 million Americans 
between the ages of 12 and 20 report illegal alcohol consumption. This 
number includes

[[Page H8684]]

41 percent of 8th grade students, 62 percent of 10th grade students, 
and 73 percent of 12th graders.
  State officials, business leaders, parents and community leaders can 
also make a difference. When they come together to fight this public 
health crisis, it is possible to reduce the terrible toll underage 
drinking has on our youth. The We Don't Serve Teens Campaign will help 
us reach that goal.
  From my personal experience in my own district, I can attest to how 
highly successful the program is in educating parents and their 
children about the dangers of underage drinking. Last fall I worked 
with the Century Council and the Federal Trade Commission to bring this 
important public safety campaign to Los Angeles during National We 
Don't Serve Teens Week.
  The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers Association and the California 
Highway Patrol joined us in sending a strong message to retailers, 
parents and adults that providing alcohol to any person under the age 
of 21 is unsafe, irresponsible, and illegal.
  I was privileged to host this important campaign in my district, and 
I am honored to support this resolution today.
  I hope that passage of this resolution will encourage others to 
become more actively involved in the fight against underage drinking. 
By working together to reduce underage drinking, we will provide a 
safer and healthier future for our children.
  I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 1042 and to do 
what they can in their communities to get the message out.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, I 
would urge passage of this resolution relative to underage drinking, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1042, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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