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Pennsylvania State Senate
09/26/2024 11:26 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=42162
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: February 22, 2024 12:39 PM
From: Senator Christine M. Tartaglione and Sen. John I. Kane
To: All Senate members
Subject: Alcohol Awareness Month
 
In the near future, we will be introducing a resolution designating April 2024 as “Alcohol Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania.
 
Most adults in the United States who drink alcohol do so moderately and without complications. At the same time, however, alcohol consumption and its associated negative effects remains one of the most significant public health crises facing the nation.

Excessive drinking in the short-term causes mental and physical impairment along with erratic and impulsive decision-making that can lead to interpersonal conflict, injury, and even death, especially when paired with activities that require concentration such as driving. In the long-term, alcohol contributes to the development of high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, stroke, various cancers, weakened immune response, depression and anxiety, and dependence.

According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects about 28.8 million adults in the United States and a further 750,000 boys and girls under the age of 18.  An estimated 140,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the fourth-leading preventable cause of death in the nation according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To put this in perspective, the total number of drug overdoses reported nationally was approximately 105,000 in 2022 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
 
In response to this longstanding public health issue, the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month each April since 1987 to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce the stigma of seeking help, and encourage local communities to focus on alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related issues. We intend to promote these same goals across Pennsylvania in April 2024.

Please join us in co-sponsoring this important resolution to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of Alcohol Use Disorder.
 



Introduced as SR255


Memo Updated: February 22, 2024 12:40 PM