Title
Proclamation: Alcohol Awareness Month
Body
2004-0148
P R O C L A M A T I O N
WHEREAS, the 2002 Louisiana Communities That Care Survey found that in Region III (Lafourche, Assumption, Terrebonne, St. Mary, St. John, St. James, and St. Charles Parishes): 26.6% of sixth graders, 55.5% of eighth graders, 71.4% of tenth graders, and 80.1% of twelfth graders admit to having used alcohol; and,
WHEREAS, in the same survey, high school seniors indicated that on average, they were 13.9 years old at the time of their first drink, and 16.4% admitted to having been drunk or high at school; and,
WHEREAS, alcohol is a factor in the four leading causes of death among person ages 10 to 24: motor vehicle crashes, unintentional injuries, homicides, and suicides; and,
WHEREAS, young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21; and,
WHEREAS, "binge drinking" is common to underage drinkers: 5.1% of sixth graders, 13.7% of eighth graders, 23.0% of tenth graders, and 30.6% of twelfth graders in Region III have engaged in this extremely dangerous form of alcohol abuse; and,
WHEREAS, alcohol abuse in linked to as many as two-thirds of all sexual assaults and date rapes of teens and college students, and is a major factor in unprotected sex among youth, increasing their risk of contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases; and,
WHEREAS, the typical American young person will see 100,000 beer commercials before he or she turns 18 (that's more than for sneakers, gum, and jeans).
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 2004 AS
ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH
"SAVE A LIFE - END UNDERAGE DRINKING"
ALBERT D. LAQUE LANCE MARINO
PARISH PRESIDENT COUNCILMAN AT LARGE, DIV. A
CLAYTON FAUCHEUX DERRYL WALLS
COUNCILMAN AT LARGE, DIV. B COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT IV
DESMOND J. HILAIRE APRIL BLACK
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT I COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT V
BRIAN A. FABRE DICKIE DUHE
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT II COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT VI
'RAM' RAMCHANDRAN BARRY MINNICH
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT III COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT VII
ALCOHOL 2004.pcl