| 1 | 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 536 |
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| 2 | 2 | | WHEREAS, The dangers of drunk driving and underage |
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| 3 | 3 | | drinking are issues of concern to every Texan; and |
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| 4 | 4 | | WHEREAS, While concerted law enforcement and education |
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| 5 | 5 | | efforts have done much to curb drunk driving over the past few |
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| 6 | 6 | | decades, more than 10,000 alcohol-related deaths still occur on |
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| 7 | 7 | | our nation's roadways each year; and |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, A total of 1,468 Texans died in drunk driving |
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| 9 | 9 | | crashes in 2017; although this number is above the national |
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| 10 | 10 | | average, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities overall have been |
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| 11 | 11 | | on the decline at both the state and national levels, and our |
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| 12 | 12 | | state has seen a 7.5 percent decrease in such fatalities among |
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| 13 | 13 | | drivers under the age of 21 in the last decade alone; and |
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| 14 | 14 | | WHEREAS, The State of Texas has worked to reduce the |
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| 15 | 15 | | incidence of impaired driving through the use of DWI courts, law |
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| 16 | 16 | | enforcement training, No Refusal campaigns, ignition interlock |
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| 17 | 17 | | devices, alcoholism treatment, and other lifesaving |
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| 18 | 18 | | countermeasures; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Underage drinking, which continues to be a |
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| 20 | 20 | | persistent problem despite a decline to record-low levels in |
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| 21 | 21 | | 2018, is an area of particular focus for our state; the number of |
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| 22 | 22 | | Texans between the ages of 12 and 20 reporting alcohol |
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| 23 | 23 | | consumption in the past month is now around 17 percent, a |
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| 24 | 24 | | decrease of 36 percent since 2008, and the continued cooperation |
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| 25 | 25 | | of state law enforcement agencies, alcohol awareness |
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| 26 | 26 | | organizations, and responsible parents can play an instrumental |
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| 27 | 27 | | role in ensuring that our youth avoid impaired driving; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Research shows that parents can help prevent |
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| 29 | 29 | | underage drinking and alcohol abuse by beginning conversations |
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| 30 | 30 | | with their children about alcohol use at an early age and by |
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| 31 | 31 | | continuing to speak with them about the issue throughout |
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| 32 | 32 | | childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood; with the help of |
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| 33 | 33 | | Responsibility.org and other organizations, 73 percent of |
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| 34 | 34 | | teenagers now identify parents as the leading influence in their |
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| 35 | 35 | | decisions regarding alcohol, representing a 33 percent increase |
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| 36 | 36 | | since 1991; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, The recognition of April as Alcohol |
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| 38 | 38 | | Responsibility Month offers a welcome opportunity to call |
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| 39 | 39 | | attention to the work that must be done to further reduce the |
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| 40 | 40 | | tragic impact of drunk driving and underage drinking in Texas; |
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| 41 | 41 | | now, therefore, be it |
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| 42 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 86th |
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| 43 | 43 | | Legislature, hereby recognize April 2019 as Alcohol |
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| 44 | 44 | | Responsibility Month and encourage all Texans to make |
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| 45 | 45 | | responsible decisions regarding the consumption of alcohol and |
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| 46 | 46 | | to support efforts to reduce drunk driving and underage drinking. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Hancock |
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| 48 | 48 | | ________________________________ |
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| 49 | 49 | | President of the Senate |
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| 50 | 50 | | I hereby certify that the |
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| 51 | 51 | | above Resolution was adopted by |
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| 52 | 52 | | the Senate on April 4, 2019. |
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| 53 | 53 | | ________________________________ |
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| 54 | 54 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 55 | 55 | | ________________________________ |
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| 56 | 56 | | Member, Texas Senate |
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