FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 1, 2007
Contact: Stephanie Mantegna, House of Representatives, 302-577-8515 stephanie.mantegna@state.de.us
Brian Fischer, The Charmer Sunbelt Group, 410-401-9315 bfischer@c-sg.com
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE ANNOUNCES THE FORMATION OF A TASK FORCE COMMITTED TO EXAMINING UNDERAGE DRINKING AND DRUNK DRIVING
Speaker of the House Terry R. Spence (R-Stratford) today announced the formation of a legislative task force studying the issues surrounding the underage consumption of alcohol and drunk driving.
The Alcohol Awareness Task Force, established under House Resolution 17, met for the first time this week.
The task force is being chaired by Brian Fischer, Vice President of Community Relations of The Charmer Sunbelt Group, a leading national distributor of fine wines and spirits “committed to the legal and responsible sales and consumption of alcohol.” The task force will examine the problem of underage drinking and make recommendations on specific measures to combat, prevent and reduce alcohol-related harm within the state.
Speaker Spence stated, “I established this task force during the past session to address what we, as policy makers, can do about the high statistics and unfortunate, and sometimes deadly, consequences of underage drinking and drunk driving. The group is comprised of a good mix of people from various agencies, including the Office of Highway Safety, the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, the Attorney General’s Office, the Delaware Restaurant Association and the Delaware Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving—all committed to stemming the underage consumption of alcohol.”
According to Mr. Fischer, “The task force has its work cut out for it. It’s all about finding ways to better educate our youth and their parents about a zero tolerance policy on underage drinking. When most teens report that they receive alcohol from family and friends, we need to do more to address the problem of social hosting in which adults host teen parties where there may be underage drinking. I look forward to serving in the capacity as chairman of the task force and appreciate Speaker Spence’s efforts toward changing patterns and behaviors as they relate to teen drinking.”
The Federal Trade Commission cites a 2003 survey in which 65% of drinkers aged 10 to 18 said “they got the alcohol from family members or friends. Some took alcohol from their own home or a friend's home without permission; in other cases, adults, siblings, or friends provided the alcohol.”
The next meeting of the Alcohol Awareness Task Force will be held on November 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. in the State Supreme Court Conference Room on the 11th floor of the State Office Building in Wilmington. Public input is welcome. For more information on speaking before the task force, please contact the House of Representatives at 302-577-8723.
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