PHOENIX — Governor Katie Hobbs proclaimed the month of April to be Arizona Alcohol Awareness Month to raise awareness of the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States, and to call upon all citizens, parents, governmental agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, hospitals, schools, and colleges in the State of Arizona to support efforts that will provide early education about alcoholism and addiction that will increase support for individuals and families coping with alcoholism. With these efforts, together, we can provide Hope, Help, and Healing for those in our community who are facing challenges with alcohol use and abuse.
View text of the proclamation below.
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WHEREAS, Alcohol Awareness Month provides an opportunity to increase outreach and education regarding the dangers of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and issues related to excessive alcohol consumption; and
WHEREAS, the broad effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including stress and anxiety, can increase drinking and exacerbate symptoms of AUD; and
WHEREAS, 16 percent of adults in Arizona report binge drinking and more than 140,000 deaths are annually attributed to excessive alcohol use in the United States; and
WHEREAS, alcohol is the most commonly used substance among youth in the United States impacting individuals, families, and communities; and
WHEREAS, results from the 2022 Arizona Youth Survey show that the most frequently reported substance ever used across 8th, 10th, and 12th-grade youth is alcohol; and
WHEREAS, research indicates that alcohol use during the teenage years could interfere with normal adolescent brain development and increase the risk of developing AUD; and
WHEREAS, youth who drink alcohol are more likely to experience changes in brain development that may have life-long effects including, physical and sexual violence, school and social problems, increased risk of suicide and homicide, and alcohol-related vehicle crashes4; and
WHEREAS, 10 percent of youth in Arizona across 8th, 10th, and 12th-grade reported riding in a car in which the driver had been drinking; and
WHEREAS, 40 percent of high school youth usually obtained the alcohol they drank by someone giving it to them; and
WHEREAS, statewide prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts surrounding alcohol and substance abuse can help individuals, families, and children cope with AUD and alcohol-related problems.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Katie Hobbs, Governor of the State of Arizona, do hereby proclaim April 2023 as
ARIZONA ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH
and call upon all citizens, parents, governmental agencies, public and private institutions, businesses, hospitals, schools, and colleges in the State of Arizona to support efforts that will provide early education about AUD and addiction, and increase support for individuals and families coping with AUD. Through these efforts, together, we can provide Hope, Help and Healing for those in our communities who are facing challenges with alcohol use and abuse.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused
to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Arizona
GOVERNOR
DONE at the Capitol in Phoenix on this thirtieth day of March in
the year Two Thousand and Twenty-Three and of the
Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred
and Forty-Seventh.
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
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