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Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act

Date: Nov. 14, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Minors and Children Drugs


SOBER TRUTH ON PREVENTING UNDERAGE DRINKING ACT -- (House of Representatives - November 14, 2006)

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Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank, again, all my colleagues who have worked for so many years to see this bill reach the floor: Congresswoman Roybal-Allard, Congressmen Osborne, Wolf and Wamp, as well as our colleagues in the other body, Senators Dodd and DeWine.

This is an important moment, one in which this Congress says ``enough is enough.'' For too long we have looked the other way when it comes to the increasing problem of underage drinking, and the results of our inaction are clear.

Today, the average age kids start drinking is 13; 7 million young people describe themselves as binge drinkers; alcohol plays a role in the three leading causes of death among young people; and studies tell us that the average young person today, not the troubled teen, but the average kid, is engaging in behavior that leads to alcoholism.

Mr. Speaker, the time for action is now. This is a disease that starts when we are young, and it does not get better as we get older. It gets worse. That is why we need this comprehensive bill. To start with, the STOP Act will increase resources for drinking prevention coalitions like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which we already know have had a positive impact on teenagers. This bill supports them.

It will also fund more research and create a committee charged with delivering a record card on the progress we are making and what we can do better. The committee will also give us a better picture of the degree to which this problem is exacerbated by advertisements targeted toward young people.

Lastly, the STOP Act would help us fund a national media campaign directed to adults to make them as aware of the dangers associated with underage drinking as possible. Too often, when it comes to adults, parents think ``not my child,'' and we need to turn that around.

So I urge my colleagues to support the STOP Act. As a Member of Congress and as someone who lost a family member in a drunk driving accident, it is long past time that Congress said with one voice that it is serious about reducing underage drinking in our communities. With this bill, we can and we will.

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