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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF "WE DON'T SERVE TEENS," AN INITIATIVE BY THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION AND COOK COUNTY BUSINESSES TO ENLIST COOK COUNTY PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS IN COMBATING UNDERAGE DRINKING
WHEREAS, As the new school year starts, the Federal Trade Commission is launching its 2013 "We Don't Serve Teens" consumer education campaign, to raise awareness among parents, educators, and other adults of the hazards of underage drinking; and
WHEREAS, Despite steady progress in addressing underage drinking over the last two decades, 23 percent of high school seniors report binge drinking and illegal alcohol use by teens remains a significant threat to the safety of young people in Cook County and our broader community; and
WHEREAS, Middle school, high school and younger college students in Cook County are at significant risk of serious illness, injury, and death when they engage in illegal underage drinking; and
WHEREAS, A recent analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicated that more than 800 drivers under the age of 21 were killed in drunk driving crashes in the United States during 2011 and several thousand were seriously injured, some with permanent disabilities; and
WHEREAS, Younger teens who experiment with alcohol are most likely to consume it in their homes or the homes of friends and to obtain the alcohol from adult family members, placing those teens at a substantially increased risk of lifetime substance abuse; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Trade Commission has developed We Don't Serve Teens as a research-based initiative to educate adults on the basic facts and remind them of the well-known risks of harm to the underage drinkers themselves and to the general public; and
WHEREAS, We Don't Serve Teens provides parents and other adults with the means to play an active role in further reducing underage drinking through greater awareness of the manner in which teens obtain alcohol and the manner in which most underage drinking occurs; and
WHEREAS, We Don't Serve Teens provides young people with useful information on the dangers of underage drinking, the costs of violating the law, and strategies to overcome peer pressure and other negative influences; and
WHEREAS, We Don't Serve Teens information is available at a web site established by the Federal Trade Commission, www.dontserveteens.gov <http://www.dontserveteens.gov>, and the information will be publicized in a coordinated print media, television, radio, and billboard campaign initiated and paid for by Crown Imports during the month of September; and
WHEREAS, the Federal Trade Commission has enlisted support of Cook-County based Crown Imports to underwrite an outdoor media campaign to promote the We Don't Serve Teens initiative to Cook County citizens at retail outlets and other locations.
Now Therefore Be It Resolved, that Cook County Board of Commissioners commends the Federal Trade Commission for its efforts to protect our teens and the general public and endorses the basic message: Don't serve alcohol to teens; it's unsafe, illegal, and irresponsible; and
Be It Further Resolved, that Cook County Board of Commissioners calls upon all licensed alcohol beverage retailers to actively participate in We Don't Serve Teens outreach efforts to their customers; and
Be It Further Resolved, Cook County Board of Commissioners commends Crown Imports, Cook County beer distributors, and Cook County alcohol beverage retailers for their ongoing support for We Don't Serve Teens; and
Be It Further Resolved, the Cook County Board of Commissioners calls upon all parents, civic leaders, and other adults involved in the lives of teens to post the We Don't Serve Teens logo on their social network pages and to utilize the information available from this initiative to increase awareness of the measures they can take to further reduce underage drinking in Cook County.
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