The Fight Against Binge Drinking

Statement

Last Friday, I joined Shaquille O'Neal and the folks at The Century Council to raise awareness about a new campaign to fight college binge drinking. The statistics are alarming. More than 10 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in America report they have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Approximately 30 percent of teenagers admit that they drink to get drunk. And 36 percent of college students report binge drinking.

Like so many of you, I know too many families whose lives have been forever changed due to binge drinking. As we all know, this isn't just a problem on college campuses. More and more, we are learning that our high schools kids and, in some cases, our middle school kids are also susceptible to it. As a junior in high school, Ninth District resident Brian Kitts' life was forever changed when his mom was killed by a classmate of his. As a testament to the human spirit, once he worked through the pain and tragedy, Brian admits he was able to find clarity and strength. He has since dedicated his life to working with kids. Recently named the new principal of Blacksburg High, I commend Brian for dedicating his life to helping students.

I believe we need to do a better job of identifying youth drinking problems earlier, in the hopes that we can avoid later tragedies. I look forward to working with The Century Council and other organizations with like-minded initiatives, and I will keep you abreast of future news about our progress.

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