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Commitment to Help Prevent Illegal Underage Drinking
Members of the beer industry are parents too, and as such have the same concerns about underage drinking that all parents do.
Beer wholesalers and brewers strongly oppose illegal underage drinking, and for decades have played an active role by teaming with parents, educators, law enforcement officials, and many others to implement programs that help prevent underage access and illegal underage drinking.
While that effort is having a positive impact, there is still significant work to be done, and sustained effort is required. The beer industry remains committed to helping prevent illegal underage access to, and consumption of, alcohol beverages. We firmly believe that one of the central reasons for the positive trends is that industry, governments, and communities have worked together to support effective strategies that address this serious issue.
Brewers and beer wholesalers have long supported and sponsored programs to help parents prevent drinking among teens and college-bound youth.
Brewers and beer wholesalers have helped enable parents to encourage their children to respect themselves and the law and specifically to have the confidence to decide not to drink. We have also developed and funded real programs for schools and parents that work to keep youth from obtaining alcohol. In addition, we have actively supported enforcement of current laws and passage of additional laws that relate to youth access to alcohol, including increased penalties for the manufacture and distribution of false ID's, and restrictions on Internet sales.
The Beer Institute played a pivotal roll in helping shepard a bipartisan bill addressing underage drinking through Congress. The Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act (H.R.864/S.408), known as the STOP Act, was approved by both chambers of Congress and signed into law by the President on December 20, 2006. The STOP Act was first introduced in the House and Senate in 2004 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers.
The STOP Act authorizes millions in grants to fund public-private partnerships aimed at engaging adults and parents in this fight, and formally establish and enhance the efforts of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD). In addition, the legislation empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress annually on the programs and policies of federal and state agencies charged with preventing underage drinking, adding an important layer of accountability to the process. HHS will devote particular attention to the role of the states in law enforcement to prevent underage persons from obtaining alcohol from commercial and non-commercial or social sources, including parents, older siblings, and other adults. Importantly, the revised bill highlights and enhances the traditional role of states, which are responsible for regulating alcohol beverage distribution and administering prevention and treatment activities in communities.
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