Governor Proclaims Alcohol Awareness Month

Alcohol Awareness Month

2025

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, April is Alcohol Awareness Month, an opportunity to educate the public about alcohol use disorder (AUD) and its harmful effects on health and society; and

Whereas, excessive alcohol consumption in North Carolina costs over $15.2 billion in 2023 in economic costs from health care costs (including fetal alcohol disorders), criminal justice expense, lost productivity at work and motor vehicular crash costs; and

Whereas, neuroscience tells us that the developing adolescent brain is far more sensitive to alcohol than the mature adult brain and underage alcohol use can negatively impact student success and athletic performance; and

Whereas, robust prevention efforts by collaborating agencies and organizations in North Carolina have helped to raise the average age at which young people begin to use alcohol; yet 19 percent of high school students still report drinking in the last 30 days and, of that number, 51 percent report binge drinking (i.e., excessive alcohol use) in the past 30 days; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina believes in the collective impact of parents, teachers, coaches, medical professionals, faith leaders and public and private organizations and institutions to support early education about alcoholism and addiction and to provide hope, help, and healing for those in our communities who are facing challenges with alcohol use and misuse; and
 

Whereas, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services operates three Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Centers that serve adults in need of substance use disorder treatment and psychiatric stabilization; and

            Whereas, the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control Commission promotes a responsible approach to consumption with generated revenue distributed back to the community and its Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking and Talk It Out NC campaigns to provide messaging about the risks associated with underage drinking and provide prevention resources to the parents to Start the Conversation about underage alcohol drinking prevention early and often;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 2025, as “Alcohol Awareness Month” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this sixth day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.