Alcohol Awareness Month 2011 launched

Alcohol Awareness Month 2011 launched

See CADA Chairman, Anthony Santucci’s remarks below.

CADA CHAIRMAN, ANTHONY SANTUCCI’S REMARKS

“Thank you Mayor Gosling for your kind and generous welcome.

For the last five years CADA has held its Proclamation Ceremony at City Hall – we feel this is almost like our second home. Indeed, I echo the Mayor’s remarks and welcome all of you to the proclamation ceremony to declare April Alcohol Awareness month. I am particularly pleased to have in attendance the students from Victor Scott, Paget Primary and West Pembroke Primary Schools.

CADA, encouraging responsible alcohol behavior, has a great number of activities planned for April. On April 1 we will launch our first on-line video campaign. We have talked with a number of people in our community and posed three questions to them. We heard some wonderful responses which we will share with you on our Facebook Page. Look for us at, facebook.com/CADABermuda and ‘Like’ us. You can also visit our website, cada.bm regularly for information and tips.

On April 6 there will be an Open House. You are each invited to attend – students bring your parents. This will be an opportunity for CADA to showcase our programs and share with attendees some of the successes we have had in the last year.

Our tag days will be held on April 21 and April 23 – the day before and the day after Good Friday. So if you are out and about in Hamilton looking for the perfect tissue paper kite or birdy, I encourage you to make a donation to CADA to help support the programs we have in place.
During the last week in April look for our Know Alcohol Quiz – it will be on our website, in the newspaper and copies will be at participating retailers. If you enter and get all the answers correct you could win a fabulous prize.

And of course, the last Friday in April is Know Alcohol Day. That is K N O W. CADA will be at Crow Lane roundabout and along East Broadway greeting morning commuters.

CADA is an organization with a lot of things going on. We have a hardworking, dedicated and focused Board supported by one full time staff member. Therefore the volunteers who give their time are extremely valuable to our organization. This is why CADA always looks forward to recognizing and rewarding the hard work of our volunteers. They are an important group of young people who are with us this afternoon. We want to show our appreciation to them and I would like them to each come forward as I say their name.

Alesha Johnson from Bermuda Institute for her help during Cup Match 2010 with labeling water bottles and giving them out during the Cup Match Classic and for her support at various health fairs we have participated in.

Samara Brown from T N Tatem Middle School – for helping CADA at Cup Match by putting up signs which served as a reminder to motorists not to drink and drive. Samara also provided assistance with creating gift bags for tag day volunteers.

Kiwan Brown from T N Tatem for supporting CADA at Cup Match by giving out water bottles that had CADA labels on them reminding people not to drink and drive.

Sheldon Caesar from Bermuda Institute who also volunteered his services at Cup Match.

Our youngest volunteer to be recognized is Kimahja Smith from Victor Scott School who also gave of his time at Cup Match last year.

Thank you each of you for your time and hard work. You are truly appreciated. I know with the support of young volunteers such as these our message will continue to be heard and shared around Bermuda. I now invite Minister Scott to return to the podium to read and sign the proclamation. Minister Scott.”

READING AND SIGNING OF THE PROCLAMATION

THE HON. MICHAEL J. SCOTT, J.P., M.P

THE PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS:
The mission of CADA, Encouraging Responsible Alcohol Behavior, is to make a positive change in Bermuda’s relationship with alcohol

WHEREAS:
CADA’S objectives for Alcohol Awareness Month, 2011 are to highlight the legislative initiatives successfully lobbied to date and to detail further legislative initiatives they would like to see adopted in Bermuda

WHEREAS:
CADA successfully promoted the enactment in 2010 of an amendment to the Liquor Licence Act 1974 requiring that staff of licensed premises be certified in the responsible sale and service of alcoholic beverages

WHEREAS:
CADA successfully promoted the enactment in 2010 of an amendment to the Liquor Licence Act 1974 empowering the police to close down licensed premises for up to 24 hours in the event of serious disorder or a threat to public safety

WHEREAS:
CADA is urging the enactment of an amendment to the Liquor Licence Act 1974 to establish an Alcohol Bureau of Control in order to achieve and enforce a responsible culture of alcohol sale, service and consumption and personal behavior in licensed premises.

WHEREAS:
CADA is urging the enactment of amendments to the Road Traffic Act 1947 to empower the police to implement roadside sobriety checkpoints for the purpose of performing roadside breath tests on the driver of every nth vehicle

WHEREAS:
CADA is urging the enactment of amendments to the Road Traffic Act 1947 to enhance police powers to demand and take breath samples from motorists to determine alcohol levels

NOW:
Therefore, I, the Honorable Michael J. Scott JP MP, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, do hereby proclaim that the month of April in the year of our Lord two thousand and eleven is to be observed throughout these Islands as ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH

Given under my hand this 30th day of March 2011

The Hon. Michael J. Scott JP MP
Attorney General and Minister of Justice
For the Islands of Bermuda