Contact: Jonathan Adkins
202-789-0942

GHSA is very encouraged by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report and its recommendations for reducing underage drinking and underage drinking and driving. Although the problem is less severe than it was a decade ago, underage drinking and driving remains one of the top challenges faced by state highway safety offices.

We are particularly heartened by the recommendations that call for federal support of community mobilizations to assess an area's underage drinking problem and to then develop effective solutions using innovative tools. These tools include community organizing, coalition building, and the strategic use of the mass media to reduce drinking among underage youth. GHSA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have in fact developed the type of community-based program that the NAS report recommends and have implemented it in six cities. GHSA strongly urges the federal government to provide additional funding for this program so that it can be taken to more cities across the country.

GHSA is also particularly pleased with the recommendations that call for coordination to ensure that both the state and federal governments are dedicating appropriate resources to reducing underage drinking and that the state and federal governments work together most effectively. Currently, a number of federal agencies address underage drinking but there is little coordination between these agencies. A single, unified federal approach would help state transportation, health, education and justice agencies address the problem in a more cohesive manner.

Legislators should carefully consider the NAS recommendations on alcohol excise taxes. GHSA and numerous other public health groups have opposed Congressional legislation to reduce taxes on beer and distilled sprits.

The NAS report should be a signal to Congress that an excise tax reduction is poor public policy with potentially dire consequences for underage drinking.

The NAS recommendations for stronger action on limiting alcohol advertising are particularly timely. Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) concluded a review of advertising practices and recommended only modest changes. While we are extremely disappointed with the FTC action, we believe that the NAS report takes the right approach to advertising. GHSA continues to believe that alcohol advertising that reaches large portions of the underage market needs to be strongly curtailed and urges Congress to hold hearings on the issue.

For those of us in the states that have long sought to reduce underage drinking, the NAS report is welcome news. We look forward to working with the federal government and other partners to ensure that its recommendations are implemented.

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The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Indian Nation. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at (202) 789-0942 for more information.