Senate Resolution 134 - Introduced

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  1  1                SENATE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2                  BY  SEYMOUR and RAGAN
  1  3 A Resolution designating March 23, 2006, through April 10,
  1  4    2006, as "Underage Drinking Prevention Days" in Iowa.
  1  5    WHEREAS, the consumption of alcoholic beverages by
  1  6 persons who are under the legal age to purchase or
  1  7 possess such beverages is a critical health and safety
  1  8 issue in this nation and in Iowa; and
  1  9    WHEREAS, forty=seven percent of persons between 12
  1 10 and 20 years of age reported drinking alcohol within
  1 11 the past year in a nationwide survey conducted in
  1 12 2004; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, twenty=nine percent of persons between 12
  1 14 and 20 years of age reported drinking alcohol within
  1 15 the last month; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, twenty=six percent of persons between 12
  1 17 and 20 years of age reported heavy alcohol use or
  1 18 binge drinking within the last month; and
  1 19    WHEREAS, forty=four percent of Iowa's eleventh
  1 20 grade students participating in the 2002 Iowa Youth
  1 21 Survey reported drinking alcohol within the last month
  1 22 and 18 percent of eighth grade students reported
  1 23 drinking alcohol within the last month; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, thirty=six percent of Iowa's eleventh
  1 25 grade students participating in the 2002 Iowa Youth
  1 26 Survey reported drinking five or more drinks in a row,
  1 27 commonly known as "binge drinking", within the last
  1 28 month; and
  1 29    WHEREAS, alcohol use is a leading risk factor in
  1 30 the three main causes of death among youth:  motor
  2  1 vehicle accidents, homicide, and suicide; and
  2  2    WHEREAS, operating while intoxicated (OWI) arrest
  2  3 rates for persons under 18 years of age had been
  2  4 steadily declining since 1997, when the arrest rate
  2  5 was 48 per 100,000 Iowa youth residents, to 2001, when
  2  6 the arrest rate had fallen to 37 arrests per 100,000
  2  7 Iowa youth residents, but increased sharply to 47
  2  8 arrests per 100,000 Iowa youth residents in 2002; and
  2  9    WHEREAS, other adverse consequences of underage
  2 10 drinking include risky sexual behavior and poor school
  2 11 performance; and
  2 12    WHEREAS, in addition to death, injury, pain, and
  2 13 suffering, underage drinking results in staggering
  2 14 social and economic costs for Iowa, including an
  2 15 estimated direct cost of $229 million in 2001 for
  2 16 medical care and lost wages, and another $406 million
  2 17 for indirect costs; and
  2 18    WHEREAS, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
  2 19 Services Administration of the United States
  2 20 Department of Health and Human Services has
  2 21 coordinated a nationwide effort for communities to
  2 22 hold town hall style meetings on or around March 28,
  2 23 2006, to raise awareness of the issue of underage
  2 24 drinking and to alert and empower communities; and
  2 25    WHEREAS, at least 38 Iowa communities will be
  2 26 holding town hall style meetings from March 23, 2006,
  2 27 through April 10, 2006; NOW THEREFORE,
  2 28    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the Senate
  2 29 designates March 23, 2006, through April 10, 2006, as
  2 30 "Underage Drinking Prevention Days" in Iowa.
  3  1 LSB 6619SS 81
  3  2 jr:nh/cf/24