Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act or STOP Underage Drinking Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish an interagency coordinating committee to guide policy and program development across the Federal Government on underage drinking; (2) issue an annual report card to rate the performance of each State in enacting, enforcing, and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce underage drinking; (3) develop a set of outcome measures to prepare report cards, including the strictness of the minimum drinking age laws and the number of compliance checks conducted; (4) fund and oversee the Ad Council's national adult-oriented media public service campaign; (5) award grants to reduce the rate of underage alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher education; and (6) collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking, including the impact alcohol use and abuse has upon adolescent brain development, the scope of the underage drinking problem, and progress in preventing and treating underage drinking.
Requires the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to award grants to design, test, evaluate, and disseminate strategies to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to preventing and reducing underage drinking.
Requires the Secretary to carry out activities toward the objectives of: (1) testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20 for alcohol involvement; (2) obtaining new epidemiological data that identifies alcohol use and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early adolescence; and (3) developing or identifying successful clinical treatment for youth with alcohol problems.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 408 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 408
To provide for programs and activities with respect to the prevention
of underage drinking.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 16, 2005
Mr. DeWine (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Warner, Mr. Corzine,
Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Lautenberg, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Jeffords, and Mr.
Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for programs and activities with respect to the prevention
of underage drinking.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Sober Truth on
Preventing Underage Drinking Act'', or the ``STOP Underage Drinking
Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
TITLE I--SENSE OF CONGRESS
Sec. 101. Sense of Congress.
TITLE II--INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE; ANNUAL REPORT CARD
Sec. 201. Establishment of interagency coordinating committee to
prevent underage drinking.
Sec. 202. Annual report card.
Sec. 203. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE III--NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
Sec. 301. National media campaign to prevent underage drinking.
TITLE IV--INTERVENTIONS
Sec. 401. Community-based coalition enhancement grants to prevent
underage drinking.
Sec. 402. Grants directed at reducing higher-education alcohol abuse.
TITLE V--ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
Sec. 501. Additional research on underage drinking.
Sec. 502. Authorization of appropriations.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Drinking alcohol under the age of 21 is illegal in each
of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. Enforcement of
current laws and regulations in States and communities, such as
minimum age drinking laws, zero tolerance laws, and laws and
regulations which restrict availability of alcohol, must
supplement other efforts to reduce underage drinking.
(2) Data collected annually by the Department of Health and
Human Services shows that alcohol is the most heavily used drug
by children in the United States, and that--
(A) more youths consume alcoholic beverages than
use tobacco products or illegal drugs;
(B) by the end of the eighth grade, 45.6 percent of
children have engaged in alcohol use, and by the end of
high school, 76.6 percent have done so; and
(C) the annual societal cost of underage drinking
is estimated at $53 to $58 billion.
(3) Data collected by the Department of Health and Human
Services and the Department of Transportation indicate that
alcohol use by youth has many negative consequences, such as
immediate risk from acute impairment; traffic fatalities;
violence; suicide; and unprotected sex.
(4) Research confirms that the harm caused by underage
drinking lasts beyond the underage years. Compared to persons
who wait until age 21 or older to start drinking, those who
start to drink before age 14 are, as adults, four times more
likely to become alcohol dependent; seven times more likely to
be in a motor vehicle crash because of drinking; and more
likely to suffer mental and physical damage from alcohol abuse.
(5) Alcohol abuse creates long-term risk developmentally
and is associated with negative physical impacts on the brain.
(6) Research indicates that adults greatly underestimate
the extent of alcohol use by youths, its negative consequences,
and its use by their own children. The IOM report concluded
that underage drinking cannot be successfully addressed by
focusing on youth alone. Ultimately, adults are responsible for
young people obtaining alcohol by selling, providing, or
otherwise making it available to them. Parents are the most
important channel of influence on their children's underage
drinking, according to the IOM report, which also recommends a
national adult-oriented media campaign.
(7) Research shows that public service health messages, in
combination with community-based efforts, can reduce health-
damaging behavior. The Department of Health and Human Services
and the Ad Council have undertaken a public health campaign
targeted at parents to combat underage alcohol consumption. The
Ad Council estimates that, for a typical public health
campaign, it receives an average of $28 million per year in
free media through its 28,000 media outlets nationwide.
(8) A significant percentage of the total alcohol
consumption in the United States each year is by underage
youth. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration reports that the percentage is over 11 percent.
(9) Youth are exposed to a significant amount of alcohol
advertising through a variety of media. Some studies indicate
that youth awareness of alcohol advertising correlates to their
drinking behavior and beliefs.
(10) According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and
Youth, in 2002, the alcoholic beverage industry spent
$927,900,000 on product advertising on television, and
$24,700,000 on television advertising designed to promote the
responsible use of alcohol. For every one television ad
discouraging underage alcohol use, there were 215 product ads.
(11) Alcohol use occurs in 76 percent of movies rated G or
PG and 97 percent of movies rated PG-13. The Federal Trade
Commission has recommended restricting paid alcohol beverage
promotional placements to films rated R or NC-17.
(12) Youth spend 9 to 11 hours per week listening to music,
and 17 percent of all lyrics contain alcohol references; 30
percent of those songs include brand-name mentions.
(13) Studies show that adolescents watch 20 to 27 hours of
television each week, and 71 percent of prime-time television
episodes depict alcohol use and 77 percent contain some
reference to alcohol.
(14) College and university presidents have cited alcohol
abuse as the number one health problem on college and
university campuses.
(15) According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism, two of five college students are binge
drinkers; 1,400 college students die each year from alcohol-
related injuries, a majority of which involve motor vehicle
crashes; more than 70,000 students are victims of alcohol-
related sexual assault; and 500,000 students are injured under
the influence of alcohol each year.
(16) According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and
Youth, in 2002, alcohol producers spent a total of $58 million
to place 6,251 commercials in college sports programs, and
spent $27.7 million advertising during the NCAA men's
basketball tournament, which had as many alcohol ads (939) as
the Super Bowl, World Series, College Bowl Games and the
National Football League's Monday Night Football broadcasts
combined (925).
(17) The IOM report recommended that colleges and
universities ban alcohol advertising and promotion on campus in
order to demonstrate their commitment to discouraging alcohol
use among underage students.
(18) According to the Government Accountability Office
(``GAO''), the Federal Government spends $1.8 billion annually
to combat youth drug use and $71 million to prevent underage
alcohol use.
(19) The GAO concluded that there is a lack of reporting
about how these funds are specifically expended, inadequate
collaboration among the agencies, and no central coordinating
group or office to oversee how the funds are expended or to
determine the effectiveness of these efforts.
(20) There are at least three major, annual, government
funded national surveys in the United States that include
underage drinking data: the National Household Survey on Drug
Use and Health, Monitoring the Future, and the Youth Risk
Behavior Survey. These surveys do not use common indicators to
allow for direct comparison of youth alcohol consumption
patterns. Analyses of recent years' data do, however, show
similar results.
(21) Research shows that school-based and community-based
interventions can reduce underage drinking and associated
problems, and that positive outcomes can be achieved by
combining environmental and institutional change with theory-
based health education--a comprehensive, community-based
approach.
(22) Studies show that a minority of youth who need
treatment for their alcohol problems receive such services.
Further, insufficient information exists to properly assist
clinicians and other providers in their youth treatment
efforts.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ``binge drinking'' means a pattern of drinking
alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08
gm percent or above. For the typical adult, this pattern
corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more
drinks (female), in about 2 hours.
(2) The term ``heavy drinking'' means five or more drinks
on the same occasion in the past 30 days.
(3) The term ``frequent heavy drinking'' means five or more
drinks on at least five occasions in the last 30 days.
(4) The term ``alcoholic beverage industry'' means the
brewers, vintners, distillers, importers, distributors, and
retail outlets that sell and serve beer, wine, and distilled
spirits.
(5) The term ``school-based prevention'' means programs,
which are institutionalized, and run by staff members or
school-designated persons or organizations in every grade of
school, kindergarten through 12th grade.
(6) The term ``youth'' means persons under the age of 21.
(7) The term ``IOM report'' means the report released in
September 2003 by the National Research Council, Institute of
Medicine, and entitled ``Reducing Underage Drinking: A
Collective Responsibility''.
TITLE I--SENSE OF CONGRESS
SEC. 101. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that:
(1) A multi-faceted effort is needed to more successfully
address the problem of underage drinking in the United States.
A coordinated approach to prevention, intervention, treatment,
and research is key to making progress. This Act recognizes the
need for a focused national effort, and addresses particulars
of the Federal portion of that effort.
(2) States and communities, including colleges and
universities, are encouraged to adopt comprehensive prevention
approaches, including--
(A) evidence-based screening, programs and
curricula;
(B) brief intervention strategies;
(C) consistent policy enforcement; and
(D) environmental changes that limit underage
access to alcohol.
(3) Public health and consumer groups have played an
important role in drawing the Nation's attention to the health
crisis of underage drinking. Working at the Federal, State, and
community levels, and motivated by grass-roots support, they
have initiated effective prevention programs that have made
significant progress in the battle against underage drinking.
(4) The alcohol beverage industry has developed and paid
for national education and awareness messages on illegal
underage drinking directed to parents as well as consumers
generally. According to the industry, it has also supported the
training of more than 1.6 million retail employees, community-
based prevention programs, point of sale education, and
enforcement programs. All of these efforts are aimed at further
reducing illegal underage drinking and preventing sales of
alcohol to persons under the age of 21. All sectors of the
alcohol beverage industry have also voluntarily committed to
placing advertisements in broadcast and magazines where at
least 70 percent of the audiences are expected to be 21 years
of age or older. The industry should continue to monitor and
tailor its advertising practices to further limit underage
exposure, including the use of independent third party review.
The industry should continue and expand evidence-based efforts
to prevent underage drinking.
(5) Public health and consumer groups, in collaboration
with the alcohol beverage industry, should explore
opportunities to reduce underage drinking.
(6) The entertainment industries have a powerful impact on
youth, and they should use rating systems and marketing codes
to reduce the likelihood that underage audiences will be
exposed to movies, recordings, or television programs with
unsuitable alcohol content, even if adults are expected to
predominate in the viewing or listening audiences.
(7) Objective scientific evidence and data should be
generated and made available to the general public and policy
makers at the local, state, and national levels to help them
make informed decisions, implement judicious policies, and
monitor progress in preventing childhood/adolescent alcohol
use.
(8) The National Collegiate Athletic Association, its
member colleges and universities, and athletic conferences
should affirm a commitment to a policy of discouraging alcohol
use among underage students and other young fans by ending all
alcohol advertising during radio and television broadcasts of
collegiate sporting events.
TITLE II--INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE; ANNUAL REPORT CARD
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE TO
PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in
collaboration with the Federal officials specified in subsection (b),
shall establish an interagency coordinating committee focusing on
underage drinking (referred to in this section as the ``Committee'').
(b) Other Agencies.--The officials referred to in subsection (a)
are the Secretary of Education, the Attorney General, the Secretary of
Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of
Defense, the Surgeon General, the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the Director of the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Administrator of the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration, the Director of the National
Institute on Drug Abuse, the Assistant Secretary for Children and
Families, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy,
the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission,
and such other Federal officials as the Secretary of Health and Human
Services determines to be appropriate.
(c) Chair.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall serve
as the chair of the Committee.
(d) Duties.--The Committee shall guide policy and program
development across the Federal Government with respect to underage
drinking.
(e) Consultations.--The Committee shall actively seek the input of
and shall consult with all appropriate and interested parties,
including public health research and interest groups, foundations, and
alcohol beverage industry trade associations and companies.
(f) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, on behalf of the Committee, shall annually submit to
the Congress a report that summarizes--
(A) all programs and policies of Federal agencies
designed to prevent underage drinking;
(B) the extent of progress in reducing underage
drinking nationally;
(C) data that the Secretary shall collect with
respect to the information specified in paragraph (2);
and
(D) such other information regarding underage
drinking as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(2) Certain information.--The report under paragraph (1)
shall include information on the following:
(A) Patterns and consequences of underage drinking.
(B) Measures of the availability of alcohol to
underage populations and the exposure of this
population to messages regarding alcohol in advertising
and the entertainment media.
(C) Surveillance data, including information on the
onset and prevalence of underage drinking.
(D) Any additional findings resulting from research
conducted or supported under section 501.
(E) Evidence-based best practices to both prevent
underage drinking and provide treatment services to
those youth who need them.
SEC. 202. ANNUAL REPORT CARD.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') shall, with input
and collaboration from other appropriate Federal agencies, States,
Indian tribes, territories, and public health, consumer, and alcohol
beverage industry groups, annually issue a ``report card'' to
accurately rate the performance of each state in enacting, enforcing,
and creating laws, regulations, and programs to prevent or reduce
underage drinking. The report card shall include ratings on outcome
measures for categories related to the prevalence of underage drinking
in each State.
(b) Outcome Measures.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall develop, in
consultation with the Committee established in section 201, a
set of outcome measures to be used in preparing the report
card.
(2) Categories.--In developing the outcome measures, the
Secretary shall develop measures for categories related to the
following:
(A) The degree of strictness of the minimum
drinking age laws and dram shop liability statutes in
each State.
(B) The number of compliance checks within alcohol
retail outlets conducted measured against the number of
total alcohol retail outlets in each State, and the
results of such checks.
(C) Whether or not the State mandates or otherwise
provides training on the proper selling and serving of
alcohol for all sellers and servers of alcohol as a
condition of employment.
(D) Whether or not the State has policies and
regulations with regard to Internet sales and home
delivery of alcoholic beverages.
(E) The number of adults in the State targeted by
State programs to deter adults from purchasing alcohol
for minors.
(F) The number of youths, parents, and caregivers
who are targeted by State programs designed to deter
underage drinking.
(G) Whether or not the State has enacted graduated
drivers licenses and the extent of those provisions.
(H) The amount that the State invests, per youth
capita, on the prevention of underage drinking, further
broken down by the amount spent on--
(i) compliance check programs in retail
outlets, including providing technology to
prevent and detect the use of false
identification by minors to make alcohol
purchases;
(ii) checkpoints;
(iii) community-based, school-based, and
higher-education-based programs to prevent
underage drinking;
(iv) underage drinking prevention programs
that target youth within the juvenile justice
and child welfare systems; and
(v) other State efforts or programs as
deemed appropriate.
SEC. 203. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this title
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.
TITLE III--NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN
SEC. 301. NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT UNDERAGE DRINKING.
(a) Scope of the Campaign.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall continue to fund and oversee the production,
broadcasting, and evaluation of the Ad Council's national adult-
oriented media public service campaign.
(b) Report.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
provide a report to the Congress annually detailing the production,
broadcasting, and evaluation of the campaign referred to in subsection
(a), and to detail in the report the effectiveness of the campaign in
reducing underage drinking, the need for and likely effectiveness of an
expanded adult-oriented media campaign, and the feasibility and the
likely effectiveness of a national youth-focused media campaign to
combat underage drinking.
(c) Consultation Requirement.--In carrying out the media campaign,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall direct the Ad Council
to consult with interested parties including both the alcohol beverage
industry and public health and consumer groups. The progress of this
consultative process is to be covered in the report under subsection
(b).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000 for each of the
fiscal years 2006 and 2007, and such sums as may be necessary for each
subsequent fiscal year.
TITLE IV--INTERVENTIONS
SEC. 401. COMMUNITY-BASED COALITION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS TO PREVENT
UNDERAGE DRINKING.
(a) Authorization of Program.--The Director of the Office of
National Drug Control Policy shall award ``enhancement grants'' to
eligible entities to design, test, evaluate and disseminate strategies
to maximize the effectiveness of community-wide approaches to
preventing and reducing underage drinking.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are, in conjunction
with the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (21 U.S.C. 1521 et seq.),
to--
(1) reduce alcohol use among youth in communities
throughout the United States;
(2) strengthen collaboration among communities, the Federal
Government, and State, local, and tribal governments;
(3) enhance intergovernmental cooperation and coordination
on the issue of alcohol use among youth;
(4) serve as a catalyst for increased citizen participation
and greater collaboration among all sectors and organizations
of a community that first demonstrates a long-term commitment
to reducing alcohol use among youth;
(5) disseminate to communities timely information regarding
state-of-the-art practices and initiatives that have proven to
be effective in reducing alcohol use among youth; and
(6) enhance, not supplant, local community initiatives for
reducing alcohol use among youth.
(c) Application.--An eligible entity desiring an enhancement grant
under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such
time, and in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the
Director may require. Each application shall include--
(1) a complete description of the entity's current underage
alcohol use prevention initiatives and how the grant will
appropriately enhance the focus on underage drinking issues; or
(2) a complete description of the entity's current
initiatives, and how it will use this grant to enhance those
initiatives by adding a focus on underage drinking prevention.
(d) Uses of Funds.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out the
activities described in such entity's application submitted pursuant to
subsection (c). Grants under this section shall not exceed $50,000 per
year, and may be awarded for each year the entity is funded as per
subsection (f).
(e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under this
section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, Federal and non-
Federal funds available for carrying out the activities described in
this section.
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the term ``eligible
entity'' means an organization that is currently eligible to receive
grant funds under the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997 (21 U.S.C. 1521
et seq.).
(g) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 6 percent of a grant
under this section may be expended for administrative expenses.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006,
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007
through 2010.
SEC. 402. GRANTS DIRECTED AT REDUCING HIGHER-EDUCATION ALCOHOL ABUSE.
(a) Authorization of Program.--The Secretary shall award grants to
eligible entities to enable the entities to reduce the rate of underage
alcohol use and binge drinking among students at institutions of higher
education.
(b) Applications.--An eligible entity that desires to receive a
grant under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the
Secretary may require. Each application shall include--
(1) a description of how the eligible entity will work to
enhance an existing, or where none exists to build a, statewide
coalition;
(2) a description of how the eligible entity will target
underage students in the State;
(3) a description of how the eligible entity intends to
ensure that the statewide coalition is actually implementing
the purpose of this Act and moving toward indicators described
in section (d);
(4) a list of the members of the statewide coalition or
interested parties involved in the work of the eligible entity;
(5) a description of how the eligible entity intends to
work with State agencies on substance abuse prevention and
education;
(6) the anticipated impact of funds provided under this Act
in reducing the rates of underage alcohol use;
(7) outreach strategies, including ways in which the
eligible entity proposes to--
(A) reach out to students;
(B) promote the purpose of this Act;
(C) address the range of needs of the students and
the surrounding communities; and
(D) address community norms for underage students
regarding alcohol use; and
(8) such additional information as required by the
Secretary.
(c) Uses of Funds.--Each eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out the
activities described in such entity's application submitted pursuant to
subsection (b).
(d) Accountability.--On the date on which the Secretary first
publishes a notice in the Federal Register soliciting applications for
grants under this section, the Secretary shall include in the notice
achievement indicators for the program authorized under this section.
The achievement indicators shall be designed--
(1) to measure the impact that the statewide coalitions
assisted under this Act are having on the institutions of
higher education and the surrounding communities, including
changes in the number of alcohol incidents of any kind
(including violations, physical assaults, sexual assaults,
reports of intimidation, disruptions of school functions,
disruptions of student studies, mental health referrals,
illnesses, or deaths);
(2) to measure the quality and accessibility of the
programs or information offered by the statewide coalitions;
and
(3) to provide such other measures of program impact as the
Secretary determines appropriate.
(e) Supplement Not Supplant.--Grant funds provided under this Act
shall be used to supplement, and not supplant, Federal and non-Federal
funds available for carrying out the activities described in this
section.
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
State, institution of higher education, or nonprofit entity.
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(5) Statewide coalition.--The term ``statewide coalition''
means a coalition that--
(A) includes--
(i) institutions of higher education within
a State; and
(ii) a nonprofit group, a community
underage drinking prevention coalition, or
another substance abuse prevention group within
a State; and
(B) works toward lowering the alcohol abuse rate by
targeting underage students at institutions of higher
education throughout the State and in the surrounding
communities.
(6) Surrounding community.--The term ``surrounding
community'' means the community--
(A) that surrounds an institution of higher
education participating in a statewide coalition;
(B) where the students from the institution of
higher education take part in the community; and
(C) where students from the institution of higher
education live in off-campus housing.
(g) Administrative Expenses.--Not more than 5 percent of a grant
under this section may be expended for administrative expenses.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2006,
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2007
through 2010.
TITLE V--ADDITIONAL RESEARCH
SEC. 501. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON UNDERAGE DRINKING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
collect data on, and conduct or support research on, underage drinking
with respect to the following:
(1) The short and long-range impact of alcohol use and
abuse upon adolescent brain development and other organ
systems.
(2) Comprehensive community-based programs or strategies
and statewide systems to prevent underage drinking, across the
underage years from early childhood to young adulthood,
including programs funded and implemented by government
entities, public health interest groups and foundations, and
alcohol beverage companies and trade associations.
(3) Improved knowledge of the scope of the underage
drinking problem and progress in preventing and treating
underage drinking.
(4) Annually obtain more precise information than is
currently collected on the type and quantity of alcoholic
beverages consumed by underage drinkers, as well as information
on brand preferences of these drinkers and their exposure to
alcohol advertising.
(b) Certain Matters.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall carry out activities toward the following objectives with respect
to underage drinking:
(1) Testing every unnatural death of persons ages 12 to 20
in the United States for alcohol involvement, including
suicides, homicides, and unintentional injuries such as falls,
drownings, burns, poisonings, and motor vehicle crash deaths.
(2) Obtaining new epidemiological data within the National
Epidemiological Study on Alcoholism and Related Conditions and
other national or targeted surveys that identify alcohol use
and attitudes about alcohol use during pre- and early
adolescence, including second-hand effects of adolescent
alcohol use such as date rapes, violence, risky sexual
behavior, and prenatal alcohol exposure.
(3) Developing or identifying successful clinical
treatments for youth with alcohol problems.
SEC. 502. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 501
$6,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and such sums as may be necessary for
each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1550)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1550-1553)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S11312-11313)
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