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.

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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, adverse childhood experiences increase the likelihood for youth to engage in high-risk behaviors such as alcohol misuse, and such youth are at an increased risk of developing AUD; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, 19 percent of adults in Arizona reported binge drinking and more than 140,000 deaths 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 the most frequently reported substance 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 lifelong effects, including physical and sexual violence, school and social problems, increased risk of suicide and homicide, and alcohol-related vehicle crashes; and

WHEREAS, ten 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, 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 2024 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. Together, through these efforts, 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 eighteenth day of March in
the year Two Thousand and Twenty-Four and
of the Independence of the United States of America the Two Hundred and Forty Eighth.

ATTEST: 

SECRETARY OF STATE