|
PA Alcoholic Beverage Coalition Joins Lawmakers to Combat
Underage Drinking
HARRISBURG -- The
Pennsylvania Alcoholic Beverage Coalition and key members of the state
legislature stood side by side today to announce support for a legislative
package aimed at fighting and preventing underage drinking among Pennsylvania
youth.
"Pennsylvania's brewers, wholesalers and retailers are committed to ensuring
that the products we distribute are consumed only by those of legal drinking
age," said Jay Wiederhold, president of the Pennsylvania Beer Wholesalers
Association, one of more than a dozen members of the coalition.
According to
the Beer Institute, efforts by the industry and others to educate parents and
their children, other adults, college populations, and sellers and servers of
alcohol have contributed to a significant reduction in illegal underage drinking
and drunk driving.
Working with
groups such as law enforcement, legislators, retailers and community
organizations, members of the beer industry have provided parents with the
information to help them talk about underage drinking with their children,
provided retailers with training and materials to spot fake identify cards and
have reminded parents and other adults not to provide alcohol for teen parties.
These efforts
have helped to contribute to impressive declines in drinking by youths.
According to the government-funded Monitoring the Future study, the numbers of
8th, 10th and 12th graders who said they drank alcohol in the past 30 days are
at the lowest levels since the surveys began.
In addition,
the government's National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 82% of
Pennsylvania's youth, ages 12-17, do not drink. Likewise, teen drunk driving
fatalities in Pennsylvania have outpaced the national trend with a 66% decline
since 1982, according to the US Department of Transportation.
"While there
is more work to be done, we're pleased about the progress that has been made and
are committed to continuing our efforts focused on these serious issues," said
Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, the industry trade association
based in Washington, D.C.
Coalition
members stood with the chairmen of the oversight committee on liquor laws to
promote passage of the package in the Legislature. The four are the chairmen of
the oversight committees on liquor laws:
-
Sen. John
Rafferty, chairman of the Law and Justice Committee
-
Sen. Sean
Logan, Democratic chair of the Law and Justice Committee
-
Rep. Ron
Raymond, chairman of the House Liquor Control Committee
-
Rep.
Robert Donatucci, Democratic chair of the House Liquor Control Committee
Bills in the
package under consideration include:
-
Driver's
license revocation for adults who furnish to minors (SB 620 Rafferty)
-
Mandate
training for bar/restaurant operators who incur underage drinking liquor
code violations (SB 969 Rafferty & HB 2376 Raymond).
-
Mandate
Liquor Control Board's Bureau of Alcohol Education to report every two years
to the General Assembly on underage drinking prevention efforts (SB 1062
Rafferty & HB 2383 Donatucci).
-
Prohibit
licensees from possessing Alcohol Without Liquor (AWOL) machines that allow
patrons to inhale alcoholic fumes (HB 2350 Petri).
-
Increase
penalties for driving drunk with a child (HB 2368 John Evans).
-
Mandate
alcohol policy for higher education institutions (HB 2375 Raymond & SB 619
Rafferty).
The members of
the Pennsylvania Alcoholic Beverage Coalition who support the effort include:
-
Appalachian Brewing Co
-
Anheuser-Busch Companies
-
Beer
Institute
-
Coors
Brewing Co.
-
Distilled
Spirits Council of the United States
-
Heineken
USA
-
InBev
USA/Latrobe Brewing Co
-
Miller
Brewing Co
-
PA
Association of Nationally Chartered Organizations
-
PA Beer
Wholesalers Association
-
PA Brewers
Association
-
PA
Restaurant Association
-
PA Tavern
Association
The industry
members, its partners and the legislators have pledged to secure passage of the
measures and have them placed on Gov. Rendell's desk for his signature before
the legislature breaks for its summer recess.
 
Rafferty
At an April 26 news conference,
Sen. John Rafferty (R-44) speaks about a legislative
package aimed at fighting
underage drinking among Pennsylvania youth.
|
