Proclamation Statement Alcohol Awareness Month 2013
Proclamation Statement Alcohol Awareness Month 2013
PROCLAMATION
APRIL IS ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH
1st April, 2013
WHEREAS:
The objectives for Alcohol Awareness Month, 2013 are to raise public awareness about sobriety checkpoints, how they operate and the results they can achieve, and, to increase public awareness on the importance of keeping alcohol out of the hands of children and teens.
WHEREAS:
The Minister of Transport, The Honorable Shawn Crockwell JP MP, has expressed this Government’s commitment to ensuring that roadside breath tests for drink drivers become admissible evidence in court.
WHEREAS:
There are currently no police powers at law, for demanding and taking breath samples on the road.
WHEREAS:
CADA supports the enactment of amendments to the Road Traffic Act 1947 to enhance police powers to demand and take breath samples from motorists.
WHEREAS:
CADA is advocating for a joint,
WHEREAS:
Parents and adults must take personal responsibility for making alcohol less accessible to our young people.
WHEREAS:
The younger a person is when they begin consuming alcohol, the more likely they are to develop an addiction to alcohol, those who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol addiction than those who wait until age 21.
WHEREAS:
The Survey of Students on Knowledge and Attitudes of Drugs and Health 2012 completed by the Department of National Drug Control provided data to suggest that young people in Bermuda may be experimenting with alcohol and drugs at an earlier age than previously suspected, in some cases as low as 9 years old
WHEREAS:
Parents and adults must put in place practical measures to keep
alcohol out of the hands of young people, by taking alcohol out of the fridge and cupboards and locking it away making it less accessible to our young people.
WHEREAS:
We encourage open dialogue between parents and adults with young people about not drinking alcohol until at least age 18 and about responsible drinking after age 18.
NOW:
Therefore, I, The Hon. Michael H. Dunkley JP MP, Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Safety, do hereby proclaim that the month of April in the year of our Lord two thousand and thirteen is to be observed throughout these Islands as
Given under my hand this 1st day of April 2013
Deputy Premier & Minister of Public Safety
For the Islands of Bermuda
The Hon. Michael H. Dunkley JP MP
CADA Chairman, Anthony Santucci’s remarks:
“Good morning Minister for Public Safety, the Hon. Michael Dunkley, JP, MP; Shadow Minister for the Department for National Drug Control, Kim Wilson, JP, MP; Assistant Commissioner Martin Weekes from the Bermuda Police Service; ladies and gentlemen of the media, thank you for being here this morning.
Today, April 1st, is the start of Alcohol Awareness month. Each year CADA, encouraging responsible alcohol behavior, works to raise the community’s awareness on responsible alcohol behavior. This year, we will focus on educating the community about Sobriety Checkpoints, what they look like, what they are designed to do and how they will benefit Bermuda.
We will share the research on best practices and the effectiveness of this important initiative on reducing the number of alcohol related road collisions and fatalities in other jurisdictions.
Additionally, we will work to encourage and support open dialogue between adults and young people and children about not drinking alcohol until at least the age of 18 years, and about responsible drinking after the age 18 years.
Throughout April, we will host a series of presentations about how Sobriety Checkpoints work. CADA will set up a booth in the Washington Mall each Monday for the next four weeks providing details on Sobriety Checkpoints together with tips for adults on how to talk with children and young people about not consuming alcohol, to view a calendar listing of these presentations, click here.
We began Alcohol Awareness Month this morning with the CADA board, staff and volunteers greeting motorists at East Broadway as they traveled into Hamilton.
I encourage everyone to visit cada.bm or go to our Facebook page which will provide full details of this month’s activities. I now invite Minister Dunkley forward to speak. He will be followed by Shadow Minister Kim Wilson and Assistant Commissioner Martin Weekes.”