01/29/2001 01:35 PM Senate HES

                  SCR  2-SOBRIETY AWARENESS MONTH                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
The committee took up SCR 2.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WARD, sponsor of  the measure, explained that March has been                                                            
designated as  a month to honor sobriety since 1995.   This movement                                                            
began with  the Alaska Federation  of Natives  (AFN).  SCR  2 honors                                                            
sobriety and  holds up those people  that consider sobriety  to be a                                                            
way of  life.  He has  discussed this movement  with many  community                                                            
councils and  villages around Alaska  and they are completely  aware                                                            
that the Legislature and the Governor honor sobriety.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. ERNIE TURNER,  Director of the  Division of Alcoholism  and Drug                                                            
Abuse for the Department  of Health and Social Services (DHSS), said                                                            
DHSS strongly  supports SCR 2 to designate March,  2001, as sobriety                                                            
awareness   month.    It  gives  communities   the  opportunity   to                                                            
participate in  activities that promote sobriety as  a normal way of                                                            
life.  He expressed  concern that  SCR 2 does not include  inhalants                                                            
because the use  of inhalants is a big problem in  many communities.                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  GREEN asked  Senator Ward  if the larger  sobriety  awareness                                                            
organization crafted the language in SCR 2.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WARD said  it did.   He agreed  with  Mr. Turner's  concern                                                            
about the use  of inhalants and noted Governor Knowles  brought that                                                            
issue up when in Minto and Bethel.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GREEN asked  Senator Ward if it would be inappropriate  to add                                                            
a separate "Whereas" clause.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WARD said it would not.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GREEN  asked Senator  Ward to  bring an  amendment before  the                                                            
committee on Wednesday.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. TURNER added that National  Sobriety Month occurs in October but                                                            
Alaska has designated  March as sobriety awareness  month because of                                                            
the Iditarod  sled dog race.   He thought  that at least one  musher                                                            
brings attention to sobriety during the race.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 2102                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  LEMAN asked  Mr.  Turner whether  sobriety  means  teaching                                                            
against any use  of alcohol and drugs or whether it  is an effort to                                                            
work toward no  abuse of alcohol or use of non-medically  prescribed                                                            
drugs.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. TURNER  said sobriety  has been defined  to mean a positive  and                                                            
healthy way  of life, free from the  devastating effects  of alcohol                                                            
and drugs.   He noted that several  meanings exist.  To a  person in                                                            
recovery, sobriety  is something of  extreme value.  It is  a way of                                                            
life that  is serene and  allows the recovering  alcoholic to  be at                                                            
peace  with life.   He pointed  out  there is  a difference  between                                                            
being sober and being dry.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  WARD thanked Mr.  Turner for acknowledging  Mike  Williams'                                                            
[an Iditarod  musher's] efforts  to support  sobriety on a  national                                                            
and international level.  Senator Ward pointed out,                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     25  years ago, our  people on  TV had a  martini in  their                                                                 
     hand and  a cigarette in their  mouth and a lot of people                                                                  
     grew up thinking that this  was a normal thing and you had                                                                 
     to do these things in order  to be socially acceptable. As                                                                 
     a society, it's also not  only socially acceptable to rise                                                                 
     up those  leaders that honor  sobriety, but this movement                                                                  
     is encouraging  rising those  up.  This does not say  that                                                                 
     people  can't drink.   It doesn't say  people can't  honor                                                                 
         people that do drink.  What it does - this gives                                                                       
       permission to us - we are honoring those people that                                                                     
     honor sobriety.....                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. TURNER noted  one other month has been recognized  for people in                                                            
recovery - November.  It is called gratitude month.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WARD said  he would like to add a reference  to inhalants to                                                            
SCR 2.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  PAMELA WATTS,  Executive  Director  of  the Advisory  Board  on                                                            
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse,  said SCR 2 is a foundation piece for the                                                            
strategies  outlined in the  state plan for  alcohol and drug  abuse                                                            
services.    It  calls  for  communities  and  individuals  to  take                                                            
responsibility for the  negative consequences of alcohol.  The Board                                                            
is encouraged because it  sees more of that occurring statewide.  As                                                            
SCR 2 suggests,  the benefits of sobriety  can be an improvement  in                                                            
the quality  of life  and can reduce  the incidence  of alcohol  and                                                            
drug related  crime  and the recidivism  rate of  criminals and  the                                                            
burden  on government  for  funds to  combat crime.  She  encouraged                                                            
committee members to carefully  consider other pieces of legislation                                                            
that relate to alcoholism and offered to provide information.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
TAPE 01-5, SIDE B                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LEMAN noted he appreciates Senator Ward's efforts.