[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4980]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE 27TH ANNUAL NATIONAL ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TIM RYAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2013

  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, April marks the 27th annual National 
Alcohol Awareness Month.
   As co-chair of the House Addiction, Treatment and Recovery (ATR) 
caucus, I rise today to talk about the importance of this milestone and 
to applaud the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence 
(NCADD), which since 1987 has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month to 
increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma and 
encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related 
issues.
   Alcohol abuse is one of the leading causes of death in this country 
and is a huge contributor to other pressing health care problems like 
hypertension, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Not a day 
goes by that we as a Caucus don't hear another story about the tragedy 
wrought by the abuse of alcohol. Some have even gone so far as to call 
the abuse of alcohol and other drugs the number one public health 
crisis facing this country.
   This year, National Alcohol Awareness Month is highlighting the 
important public health issue of underage drinking, a problem with 
devastating individual, family and community consequences. With this 
year's theme, ``Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow,'' the month of April 
will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at 
educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism. 
Local NCADD Affiliates as well as schools, colleges, churches, and 
countless other community organizations will sponsor activities that 
create awareness and encourage individuals and families to get help for 
alcohol-related problems.
   Alcohol use by young people is extremely dangerous--both to 
themselves and to society, and is directly associated with traffic 
fatalities, violence, suicide, educational failure, alcohol overdose, 
unsafe sex and other problem behaviors. Annually, over 6,500 people 
under the age of 21 die from alcohol-related injuries.
   Additionally:
   Alcohol is the number one drug of choice for America's young people, 
and is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs 
combined.
   Each day, 7,000 kids in the United States under the age of 16 take 
their first drink.
   More than 1,700 college students in the U.S. are killed each year--
about 4.65 a day--as a result of alcohol-related injuries.
   25% of U.S. children are exposed to alcohol-use disorders in their 
family. Underage alcohol use costs the nation an estimated $62 billion 
annually.
   And yet, these statistics don't fully convey the danger of underage 
drinking. The more we learn about the human brain, the more we learn 
how dangerous early drinking is for underage drinkers.
   Reducing underage drinking is critical to securing a healthy future 
for America's youth and requires a cooperative effort from parents, 
schools, community organizations, business leaders, government 
agencies, the entertainment industry and alcohol manufacturers/
retailers. Underage drinking is a complex issue, one that can only be 
solved through a sustained and cooperative effort. As a nation, we need 
to wake up to the reality that for some, alcoholism and addiction 
develop at a young age and that prevention, intervention, treatment and 
recovery support are essential for them and their families. We can't 
afford to wait any longer.
   Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to highlight this important issue 
with a National Alcohol Awareness Month event in their districts. This 
is a problem that plagues all of our communities but working together, 
we can restore hope to our young people and their families.

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