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 the places where 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, Chicago-based Constellation Brands Beer Division will publicize the We Don't Serve Teens initiative in Chicago during the month of September;
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, the City of Chicago commends the Federal Trade Commission for its efforts to protect the safety of our teens and ofthe general public; and
Be it further Resolved, that the City of Chicago 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 City of Chicago commends Constellation Brands Beer Division, Chicago beer distributors, and Chicago alcohol beverage retailers for their ongoing support for We Don't Serve Teens; and
Be it further Resolved, the City of Chicago calls upon all parents and other adults involved in the lives of teens to post the We Don't Serve Teens logo and web address on their social network pages and to utilize the information available from www.dontserveteens.gov to inform other parents and friends ofthe measures they can take to further reduce underage drinking to protect our younger citizens and the broader Chicago community.
Brendan Reilly Alderman, 42nd Ward