Committee on Finance City Council Meeting September 10, 2014 Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward Resolution for the Consent Calendar
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "WE DON'T SERVE TEENS," AN INITIATIVE BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION, CONSTELLATION BRANDS BEER DIVISION, AND OTHER CHICAGO BUSINESSES TO COMBAT
UNDERAGE DRINKING
Whereas, Sustained effort is needed to continue progress in combating underage drinking in Chicago as each year, a new group of our younger citizens enter middle school, high school, and college when they are more mobile and independent of their parents and caregivers;
Whereas, Middle school, high school and younger college students in Chicago are at significant risk of serious illness, injury, and death when they engage in illegal underage drinking;
Whereas, underage drinking continues to pose a significant challenge to law enforcement, public health officials, educators, and parents;
Whereas, motor vehicle accidents-many of which involve illegal underage drinking-are the leading cause of death among and preventable injuries among citizens Illinois between the ages of 16 and 19;
Whereas, younger persons between the ages of 12 and 14 who experiment with alcohol are most likely to obtain it from their homes, the homes of friends, or from adult family members;
Whereas, research by government agencies and the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that those who begin drinking early in their teenage years face a substantially increased risk of lifetime substance abuse;
Whereas, the Federal Trade Commission has developed We Don't Serve Teens as a research-based initiative to educate adults on the basic facts about illegal underage drinking and remind them ofthe well known risks of harm to the underage drinkers themselves and to the general public; and
Whereas, We Don't Serve Teens provides parents and other adults with the means to play an active role in further reducing underage drinking through greater awareness of how teens obtain alcohol and th...
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