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Underage Drinking Prevention Bill Passes Congress: Thank the Co-Sponsors

On December 7, 2006, in the final hours of the 109th Congress and nearly three years after its initial introduction, both houses of Congress passed the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act (H.R. 864 / S. 408). The $18 million bill adopts some of the policies and programs recommended in the Institute of Medicine's September 2003 report to Congress (“Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility”).  

The bi-partisan, bi-cameral STOP Act was crafted by seven members of both parties in both houses of Congress:  Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34-CA), Frank Wolf (R-10-VA), Zach Wamp (R-3-TN), Tom Osborne (R-3-NE), and Rosa DeLauro (D-3-CT).  The bill had a total of 86 House and 29 Senate co-sponsors.

In order to cultivate and promote legislators’ interest in and engagement on key alcohol prevention policies and programs, it is important to thank and acknowledge Senators and Representatives who supported the STOP Act.  If any of your legislators co-sponsored the STOP Act in the House or Senate, please take a moment to thank them and encourage their continued involvement and support in the fight against underage drinking.  This email will automatically be sent ONLY to Senators and Representatives who co-sponsored the bill.  You can go to the following internet links to find out whether your Member/s co-sponsored:

House: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR00864:@@@P

Senate: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN00408:@@@P

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Thank You STOP Act Co-Sponsors! Underage Drinking Prevention Bill to Become Public Law

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As your constituent, I want to thank you for co-sponsoring the "Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act" (S. 408/H.R. 864) in the 109th Congress. I am pleased to hear that Congress passed the bill in the final hours of the session. The bill will improve coordination among federal agencies involved in underage drinking prevention, require annual reporting that will better monitor and report on progress in combating underage drinking. It will also modestly fund a public service announcement campaign aimed at parents; provide money for community and college prevention programs; and support essential scientific research and data collection.

Passage of this bill is an important first step in better responding as a nation to the devastating public health and safety problem of underage drinking. I truly appreciate your support for this legislation, and I am hopeful that its passage will contribute to protecting and saving young lives. I look forward to keeping in touch with you on the underage drinking issue and other alcohol-related prevention and public policy concerns.

With best regards.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
December 11, 2006


Background Information

The public health, safety, consumer protection, education, child and family welfare, and faith communities have fought for years to elevate underage drinking on the national public policy agenda.  

Underage drinking costs our country some $61.9 billion dollars per year, and kills more than nine young people every day.  Many more young people use alcohol than smoke or use other drugs.  And the age at which kids start experimenting with alcohol is younger than ever. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, prevention efforts are beginning to pay off in declining rates of teen smoking.  However, due to the absence of comparable efforts to combat underage drinking, youth alcohol use continues at alarmingly high rates.

The STOP Underage Drinking Act includes four major areas of policy development:

  • Establish a coordinated leadership role for the federal government to combat underage drinking via a Secretary-level Interagency Coordinating Committee;
  • Require an annual report to better monitor progress on key underage drinking indicators and state-level underage drinking prevention policies and programs;
  • Authorize a national adult-oriented public service announcement campaign to prevent underage drinking;  
  • Make funds available to communities and campuses to combat youth alcohol use;  Fund additional scientific research on underage drinking.

LINKS:

STOP Act Bill Text:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h864eas.txt.pdf

Stop Act Co-Sponsors:

House:      http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR00864:@@@P

Senate:     http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN00408:@@@P

CSPI Statement on Passage of the STOP Act: http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612071.html

 
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