[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING POWERTALK 21

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                           HON. LOIS FRANKEL

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2015

  Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
National Alcohol Awareness Day and the Mothers Against Drunk Driving's 
(MADD) initiative to have open discussions with children about alcohol. 
PowerTalk 21 is a program that gives families an opportunity to come 
together to discuss the dangers of underage drinking.
  The Southeast Florida chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving has 
been proactive in their efforts to educate the community about the 
dangers of underage drinking. This year they have offered more ways 
than ever before to share personal experiences about alcohol abuse and 
the consequences of driving under the influence.
  Every day from April 1 to April 21, MADD volunteers published blog 
posts about their personal tragedies caused by individuals driving 
under the influence. By sharing their stories, these brave volunteers 
have given a face to the daunting statistics of lives lost to drunk 
driving.
  The Southeast Florida Chapter of MADD has a long history of 
championing efforts to raise awareness of underage drinking in our 
community. They also facilitate the DUI Victim Impact Panel Program, an 
awareness program for offenders convicted of driving under the 
influence of alcohol or other drugs. This program shows offenders the 
trauma, emotional suffering, and financial loss that is commonly 
experienced by innocent victims and their family members resulting from 
a DUI-related accidents.
  I am honored to recognize the PowerTalk 21 program, and I hope that 
this initiative can help inspire our community to come together to make 
safer decisions for all of us in South Florida and around the United 
States.

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