PRINTER'S NO. 3523
No. 494 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, CALTAGIRONE,
CAPPELLI, CORRIGAN, CURRY, D. EVANS, GRUCELA, HERSHEY,
LAUGHLIN, McCALL, MELIO, PISTELLA, RUBLEY, B. SMITH,
E. Z. TAYLOR, TRELLO, YOUNGBLOOD, CREIGHTON, DALEY, FRANKEL,
HARHAI, HORSEY, LEDERER, McGILL, PALLONE, READSHAW, SCHRODER,
STABACK, THOMAS, WASHINGTON, CRUZ, DiGIROLAMO, GABIG,
HENNESSEY, LaGROTTA, LESCOVITZ, McILHATTAN, PIPPY, ROBINSON,
SHANER, STEELMAN, TIGUE AND J. WILLIAMS, MARCH 27, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 27, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Department of Health to study the problem of in-
2 vehicle drinking and related drug use by teenagers.
3 WHEREAS, Teenagers with access to a motor vehicle who use
4 alcohol and illegal drugs may cause significant harm to
5 themselves and others; and
6 WHEREAS, Alcohol and drug abuse by teenagers has increased
7 and shifted to riskier settings among certain youths; and
8 WHEREAS, In 1999, 101 youths from 15 to 20 years of age were
9 killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents in this
10 Commonwealth; and
11 WHEREAS, Aluminum Anonymous is a nonprofit corporation which
12 addresses the public health and environmental consequences of
13 underage and adult in-vehicle drinking and related drug use; and
14 WHEREAS, A survey by Aluminum Anonymous of 1,325 miles of
15 roadways in this Commonwealth since 1997 and follow-up
1 interviews indicate that teenagers account for 50% of alcohol
2 containers discarded at an average rate of 1,200 beer cans and
3 beer bottles per mile of road annually; and
4 WHEREAS, State legislatures in New Mexico, Montana, Rhode
5 Island and South Dakota have adopted resolutions regarding
6 teenage alcohol and drug use and related youth violence in motor
7 vehicles; and
8 WHEREAS, The National Center on Substance Abuse and Addiction
9 reported in January 2001 that only 2% of the annual State
10 expenditure for substance abuse problems is used for prevention
11 and treatment; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
13 Department of Health to study the problem of in-vehicle drinking
14 and related drug use by teenagers; and be it further
15 RESOLVED, That the Department of Health report to the House
16 of Representatives on its findings and recommendations for
17 incorporating teenage in-vehicle drinking and related drug use
18 into State substance abuse and youth violence prevention
19 strategies.
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