As the father of two young children, I am concerned about the rising trend of alcohol abuse among young Americans. We must always remember that alcohol, while legal, can be a deadly and addictive drug. According to a recent survey of 4,390 high school seniors, 80% reported getting drunk, binge drinking or drinking and driving. More than half of those seniors reported symptoms of alcohol abuse.

Studies have shown that individuals who binge drink at age 18 tend to have difficulty making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Physiologically, drinking has been shown to slow bone growth and stunt puberty but emotionally and psychologically, alcohol can cause even greater harm. I believe that the dangers associated with youth alcohol abuse are too serious to ignore.

That is why I cosponsored a bill to establish a national media campaign to reduce and prevent underage drinking. The purpose of the Campaign is to educate America?s youth and their parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors about the dangers of underage drinking through a nationwide media campaign.

Clearly, this should be a priority. The need for a comprehensive public education campaign aimed at underage drinking is undeniable. Underage drinking costs society over $58 billion per year. And, even though underage drinking is prohibited in all fifty states, 10.4 million young people consume alcohol illegally starting, on average, at just 13 years of age.

This bill requires that the Secretary of Health and Human Services gather and analyze all the relevant data on underage drinking; produce a comprehensive strategy to develop, implement, conduct, and evaluate a nationwide media campaign; and submit this strategy to the Congress within six months of enactment. The legislation authorizes up to $1 million for this critical research, which will be the foundation for the entire campaign.