Committee on Finance City Council Meeting, October 3, 2012 Alderman Brendan Reilly, 42nd Ward
Resolution
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "WE DON'T SERVE TEENS," AN INITIATIVE BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO BUSINESSES TO ENLIST CHICAGO PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS IN COMBATING UNDERAGE DRINKING
Whereas, As the new school year starts, the Federal Trade Commission is launching its 2012 "We Don't Serve Teens" consumer education campaign, to raise awareness among parents, educators, and other adults of the hazards of underage drinking;
Whereas, Despite steady progress in addressing underage drinking over the last two decades, 23 percent of high school seniors report binge drinking and illegal alcohol use by teens remains a significant threat to the safety of young people and the broader community'; and
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; and
Whereas, A recent analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that 839 drivers under the age of 21 were killed in drunk driving crashes in the United States during 2010 and several thousand were seriously injured, some with permanent disabilities"; and
Whereas, Younger teens who experiment with alcohol are most likely to consume it in their homes or the homes of friends and to obtain the alcohol from adult family members, placing those teens at a substantially increased risk of lifetime substance abuse'"; and
Whereas, The Federal Trade Commission has developed We Don't Serve Teens as a research-based initiative to educate adults on the basic facts and remind them of the well known risks of harm to the underage drinkers themselves and to the general public'v; 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 the manner in which teens obtain alcohol and the manner in which most underage drinking occurs; and
Whereas, We Don't Serve Teens provides young people with useful information on the dangers of underage drinking, the costs of violating the law, and strategies to overcome peer pressure and other negative influences; and
Whereas, We Don't Serve Teens messages and directions to the program web site will be displayed on Chicago Transit Authority and PACE busses during the month of September, as well as on local radio stations and at public events; and
Whereas, the Federal Trade Commission has enlisted support of Chicago-based Crown Imports to underwrite an outdoor media campaign to promote the We Don't Serve Teens initiative to Chicago citizens at retail outlets and other locations;
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, the Chicago City Council commends the Federal Trade Commission for its efforts to protect the safety of our teens and of the general public and endorses the basic message: Don't serve alcohol to teens; it's unsafe, illegal, and irresponsible; and
Be it further Resolved, that the Chicago City Council calls upon all licensed alcohol beverage retailers to actively participate in We Don't Serve Teens outreach efforts to their customers; and
Be it further Resolved, the Chicago City Council commends Crown Imports, Chicago beer distributors, and Chicago alcohol beverage retailers for their ongoing support for We Don't Serve Teens;
Resolved, the Chicago City Council calls upon all parents, civic leaders, and other adults involved in the lives of teens to utilize the information available from the We Don't Serve Teens initiative to take action and help further reduce underage drinking in the City of Chicago.
Brendan Reilly Alderman, 42nd Ward
" National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis of Federal Accident Reporting System Data, Table 3, August 2012.
111 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking, July 2011, pp. 10, 12, and 15.
2012.