Dear Senator Cilley and Honorable Members of the Committee,

New Futures, a nonprofit non partisan advocacy organization working to reduce underage alcohol problems and increase access to substance use disorder treatment and recovery services, supports SB 371 as a way to strengthen the protections provided by RSA 175: 4, IV.  This statute requires that the statement “[A]ccording to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects” be posted in all establishments where alcohol is sold.  The policy embodied in RSA 175: 4, IV - that the State has a responsibility to provide information about the risks posed to pregnant women by alcohol consumption – has been in place since 1991 when Paragraph IV was added to RSA 175: 4. 

As noted above, New Futures seeks to reduce underage alcohol problems.  Consumption of alcohol puts both underage consumers and others at risk.  Research demonstrates that consumption of alcohol by underage youth can harm their developing brains and can significantly increase the risk of alcohol dependence later in life.  Underage alcohol use also puts others at risk, including victims of automobile accidents or violence caused by underage alcohol consumption and babies born to young mothers who have consumed alcohol during their pregnancies.  Research cited in the 2004 Institute of Medicine report, Reducing Underage Drinking – A Collective Responsibility, estimated that underage drinking led to 1200 cases of fetal alcohol syndrome in 2000. 

By improving the visibility of the Surgeon General’s warning on signs posted where alcohol is sold, SB 371 will help reduce the risk of birth defects.  We respectfully request the Committee’s support for SB 371.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance to the Committee.