Alcohol Awareness Month

By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:

WHEREAS, alcohol is the most used addictive substance in the United States; and

WHEREAS, more than 16 percent of adults in Virginia binge drink according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

WHEREAS, there were 230 alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Virginia according to preliminary 2023 data; and

WHEREAS, a recent Virginia Youth Survey found that more than 13 percent of Virginia students reported having their first full drink of alcohol before age 13, and more than 35 percent of Virginia high school students had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more of the past 30 days; and

WHEREAS, in Virginia, we must increase awareness of issues related to alcohol, promote public safety through the responsible sale and regulation of alcoholic beverages, and provide resources for individuals and organizations to reduce underage and high-risk drinking; and

WHEREAS, alcohol education and prevention programming can help communities, families, and friends support the development of healthy relationships with alcohol; and

WHEREAS, Virginia supports public safety through the responsible sale and regulation of alcoholic beverages and has tasked the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority with overseeing alcohol misuse prevention across the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, Alcohol Awareness Month is a national observance held every April to increase public awareness and understanding about the dangers associated with alcohol consumption;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize April 2024, as ALCOHOL AWARENESS MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.

Governor of Virginia

Proclamations