[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5838-H5839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          WE DON'T SERVE TEENS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join 
with the Democratic leader and chairman of the Oversight and Government 
Reform Committee in congratulating Team USA on winning the America's 
Cup.
  I rise today to inform my colleagues about a consumer protection 
initiative of the Federal Trade Commission to address underage drinking 
in the United States known as ``We Don't Serve Teens.''
  People may not think of underage drinking as a consumer protection 
issue. But We Don't Serve Teens is an annual educational effort each 
September as teens head back to high school and college. The goal is to 
sustain and build on the progress our Nation has made in combating 
underage drinking. In my hometown of Chicago, Crown Imports is leading 
an effort to publicize the We Don't Serve Teens message.
  We need the active involvement of parents, older siblings, relatives, 
educators, and other adults. Years of government surveys show that a 
significant number of young teens get alcohol from their own homes or 
the homes of friends or extended family members. Most parents are 
extremely careful about watching what their younger children eat or 
drink. For our teens, maintaining vigilance over the refrigerator, the 
wine rack, or the liquor cabinet is equally important.
  Illegal underage drinking among older teens is a more formidable 
challenge. They are mobile and often able to obtain alcohol from older 
friends and family members, including older students in colleges and 
universities.

[[Page H5839]]

With that access and mobility comes sad statistics.
  An August 2012 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration indicated that 839 drivers under the age of 21 were 
killed in drunk driving crashes in the United States during 2010. 
Several thousand were seriously injured, some with permanent 
disabilities. These tragedies are 100 percent preventable. But as every 
parent knows, our teens do not always make the best decisions, and some 
simply need more active supervision.
  Back in 2006, when bipartisanship was still a hallmark of this body, 
our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee, Lucille Roybal-Allard 
and Frank Wolf, teamed up to enact the Sober Truth on Preventing 
Underage Drinking Reauthorization Act, better known as the STOP Act. 
They are still committed to reauthorizing that legislation, which has 
helped align the policies of several Federal agencies involved in 
reducing and preventing underage drinking. The reauthorization bill 
introduced this year is H.R. 498. I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation to sustain momentum in efforts to combat underage drinking.
  In the district I represent, an organization that has benefited from 
the STOP Act grant is the Brighton Park Drug-Free Community Coalition. 
Their efforts embody the spirit of the We Don't Serve Teens initiative. 
Civic-minded adults have organized ``block clubs'' to monitor 
neighborhood conditions that can contribute to illegal underage 
drinking and other substance abuse. They also enlisted neighborhood 
retailers for assistance and a shared commitment to prevent illegal 
underage sales to minors.
  In many metropolitan areas around the Nation, those who sell and 
serve alcohol beverages have been supportive of the We Don't Serve 
Teens initiative. I mentioned that Crown Imports is leading the effort 
in Chicago with a media campaign that includes outdoor advertising, 
radio, and television messages that will be seen by millions of adults. 
Other brewers and importers are taking the lead in New York, Milwaukee, 
St. Louis, and other metropolitan areas.
  I commend the FTC for its leadership on the We Don't Serve Teens and 
all who support this valuable program. It is worth the effort.

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