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Joint Panels to Hold 2nd in Series of Underage Drinking Hearings
HARRISBURG -- Members
of the Senate Law and Justice Committee and House Liquor Control Committee will
hold a joint meeting to seek input on how to address the growing problem of
underage drinking, according to Senator John Rafferty (R-44), chairman of the
Senate Law and Justice Committee.
The hearing will begin at 12:30
p.m., Wednesday, June 15, in Room 8 of the State Capitol’s East Wing in
Harrisburg.
Rafferty said the joint
Senate/House hearing is the second in a series of statewide meetings on how to
prevent underage drinking. The senators will hear input from speakers on a
number of issues, including making it harder for teenagers to gain access to
alcohol, new technology to ensure that young people have proper identification,
keg registration, and public education efforts.
Among those scheduled to
testify are representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, the PA Taverns
Association, the Independent State Store Union, Pennsylvanians Against Underage
Drinking and the Malt Beverage Distributors.
“Our goal is to seek input on
the problem, find potential solutions and discover ways the Legislature can help
to meet funding needs and develop legislation to combat this growing problem,”
Rafferty said. “Alcohol is the most frequently abused drug by high school
seniors, and its use is increasing. The American Public Health Association
estimates that two-thirds of high school seniors consume alcohol, with one-third
of those being binge drinkers.”
Rafferty is sponsoring two
pieces of legislation to combat underage drinking, including a measure to
suspend driver’s licenses of adults who furnish alcohol to minors and a bill to
require all colleges, universities and community colleges to have a written
alcohol policy, including counseling and penalties for underage drinking.
Rafferty said the Senate Law
and Justice Committee and House Liquor Control Committee has already held one
hearing in Philadelphia and plans to hold more in the months ahead. He said the
panels are seeking public input on the problem and proposed solutions from
educators, representatives of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD),
Pennsylvanians Against Underage Drinking, law enforcement officials and parents.
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