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Underage Drinking

Date: April 27, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Minors and Children Drugs


UNDERAGE DRINKING -- (House of Representatives - April 27, 2006)

Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Therefore, I want to highlight the crisis of underage drinking in this country.

Every month 11 million youth between the ages of 12 and 20 drink alcohol. Each day over 5,000 kids under the age of 16 take their first drink. Research has shown that these kids are significantly more likely than those who do not drink to become alcoholics, use marijuana, and try cocaine.

Alcohol is also known to impact adolescent brain development and increase risk-taking behavior that results in at least nine teenage deaths a day.

To address this crisis, I sponsored the STOP Act, which makes permanent the national antiunderage drinking media campaign, which is directed at those who have the greatest influence over children: their parents. The bill provides grants to combat underage drinking in our communities and establishes a report card to track States' efforts.

I encourage my colleagues to help stop underage drinking by sponsoring the STOP Act and passing it into law.

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