|
Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 1028, the "Support 21 Act of 2009"
Please encourage your Representative to co-sponsor important new federal legislation to expand underage drinking prevention efforts and reaffirm national support for the minimum legal drinking age of 21 years. On February 12, 2009, Representatives Lucille Roybal Allard (D-34th/CA) and Mary Bono Mack (R-45th/CA) introduced the "Support 21 Act of 2009"(H.R. 1028). Other original sponsors of the bill include Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd/CT) and Zach Wamp (R-3rd/TN). This bipartisan effort will build on the STOP Act and further enhance national efforts to reduce underage drinking and its harms. Please act now to encourage your Representative to sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1028.
BACKGROUND
To strengthen national efforts to address underage drinking, the $35.5M "Support 21 Act of 2009" (H.R. 1028) authorizes:
1. a focused bi-annual national media campaign to reinforce support for the minimum legal drinking age of 21 ($22M);
2. modest grant programs for community coalitions and pediatric health care providers to more effectively engage parents in efforts to reduce underage drinking $8M);
3. a stronger focus within the Centers for Disease Control on disseminating research on effective strategies to reduce underage drinking ($5M; and
4. funding for a National Academies of Science report on available research regarding the impact of alcohol on adolescent brain development and the public policy implications of that research ($.5M).
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. Please send a message to your Representative asking him or her to sign-on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1028, the Support 21 Act of 2009. If any of the above listed co-sponsors is your Representative, please take a moment to call and thank him/her for their sponsorship of this important piece of legislation. You can reach him/her through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
2. Make an appointment to meet with your Representative during the April 6 through 17, 2009 spring recess when Members of Congress will be back in their Districts. Take this opportunity to brief your legislator on the underage drinking issue, and ask him/her to help address the problem by co-sponsoring the "Support 21 Act." You can find your representative's local office by clicking here.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Co-Sponsor H.R. 1028, the "Support 21 Act of 2009"
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Please co-sponsor H.R. 1028, the "Support 21 Act of 2009," which was introduced on February 12, 2009 by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Rep. Mary Bono Mack. Age-21 laws across the country work and now is the time to renew our nation's commitment to one of the most studied and effective public health laws ever enacted.
More than 50 high-quality peer reviewed studies show conclusively that the 21 minimum drinking age saves lives, on and off the road. Approximately 900 lives are saved per year on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 4400 lives have been saved over the past five years alone. The 21 law also saves many lives that would be lost to alcohol-related drownings, falls, burns, homicides, suicides, and other off-road fatalities.
The "Support 21 Act" reaffirms the National Minimum Age Drinking Act as an effective means of reducing underage drinking and youth alcohol problems. It reinforces support among the public for enforcing the Age-21 law and builds upon the STOP Act, passed in 2006, which enables community coalitions, health care providers, and parents to engage in efforts to reduce underage drinking.
The Support 21 Act would create a media outreach campaign, modeled after NHTSA's "Click it or Ticket and Drunk Driving: Over the Limit, Under Arrest" campaigns. The media outreach campaign would launch semi-annually to demonstrate the detrimental health impact of underage drinking and build public and parental support for the 21 drinking age.
I urge you to co-sponsor the Support 21 Act. With your commitment, we can save lives on and off the road and protect young people, the future of this country.
Thank your for your time and consideration of the "Support 21 Act of 2009."
Sincerely,
|
Campaign Launched:
March 06, 2009
|
