Governor Proclaims Alcohol Awareness Month 2023

WHEREAS, across our state and nation, alcohol misuse is a major public health problem that affects people of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in North Carolina and is associated with risky behavior, violence, suicide, homicide, and vehicular accidents; excessive alcohol consumption is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking by pregnant women or people younger than age 21; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that in 2021, over 6,300 North Carolinians died from alcohol-related causes and there were approximately 33,400 visits to North Carolina emergency rooms due to alcohol intoxication; and

WHEREAS, excessive alcohol consumption in North Carolina costs over $9.7 billion a year in 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; 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 24 percent of high school students surveyed reported drinking in the last 30 days and, of those, 52 percent reported binge drinking in the past 30 days; and

WHEREAS, 13 percent of North Carolina high school students and 16 percent of middle school students reported riding in a car in the last 30 days with a driver who had been drinking alcohol; and 17 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes with a driver ages 15-19 involved alcohol; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Alcohol Beverage Control Commission’s Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking, Talk It Out NC, campaigns to combat underage drinking by spreading education about alcohol’s health risks and raising awareness about the resources available to families to start the conversation; 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 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;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April, 2023, as “ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.