WHEREAS, April is Alcohol Awareness Month as designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise awareness of the problem of alcohol abuse; and
WHEREAS, the Maine Beer and Wine Distributors Association member companies play a critical role in Maine's economy, providing thousands of beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverage choices to people in the State and delivering their products safely, efficiently and regularly to the thousands of retailers who sell them to consumers in Maine, supporting more than 3,000 jobs in Maine. The distributors are a vital part of the Maine economy by generating $681,000,000 in annual sales for a wide variety of Maine businesses; and
WHEREAS, the Maine Beer and Wine Distributors Association has initiated a statewide initiative to recognize Alcohol Awareness Month in Maine through its Celebrating Responsibility 2011 initiative, in order to:
1. Educate the public that alcohol is a unique product that requires regulation and responsible consumption. The distributors have emphasized that the importance of a strong three-tier, state-based distribution system is the key to effective and accountable alcohol control and are proud to be a part of this 75-year-old system;
2. Promote responsibility. The Maine Beer and Wine Distributors Association has partnered with Maine Olympian Julia Clukey, who is actively involved as a spokesperson for the initiative;
3. Educate young people about the consequences of underage drinking. As the spokesperson for the initiative, Ms. Clukey has recorded public service announcements and appeared on local radio shows to emphasize the importance of individual responsibility;
4. Promote good decision making and positive life choices. The Maine Beer and Wine Distributors Association last year sponsored presentations by Ms. Clukey at schools throughout Maine. In total, over 3,000 Maine students had the opportunity to be a part of Ms. Clukey's inspiring presentation to promote good decision making and positive life choices, and more school appearances are planned for 2011;
5. Address public safety. As part of this effort, member companies provide support for numerous alcohol awareness initiatives to help Maine residents make responsible choices about drinking;
6. Support many community initiatives that make Maine an even better place to live, work and play. As parents, neighbors and employers, Maine distributors continue to support local communities across Maine; and
7. Educate the public about the state-based regulatory system; and
WHEREAS, the Maine Beer and Wine Distributors Association created a publicly accessible website to highlight its current community involvement and efforts to promote responsibility; now, therefore, be it