Legislature(2017 - 2018)BUTROVICH 205
04/09/2018 01:30 PM Senate HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB208 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 208 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 9, 2018
2:42 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator David Wilson, Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Tom Begich
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Natasha von Imhof, Vice Chair
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 208
"An Act establishing the month of March as Sobriety Awareness
Month."
- MOVED SB 208 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 208
SHORT TITLE: MARCH: SOBRIETY AWARENESS MONTH
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) GARDNER
02/19/18 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/19/18 (S) HSS, STA
04/09/18 (S) HSS AT 1:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
SENATOR BERTA GARDNER Sponsor
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 208.
JACOB TATUM, Staff
Senator Berta Gardner
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented SB 208 on behalf of the sponsor.
TIFFANY HALL, Executive Director
Recover Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 208.
ACTION NARRATIVE
2:42:27 PM
CHAIR DAVID WILSON called the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee meeting to order at 2:42 p.m. Present at the
call to order were Senators Begich, Micciche, and Chair Wilson.
Senator Giessel joined shortly thereafter.
SB 208-MARCH: SOBRIETY AWARENESS MONTH
2:42:46 PM
CHAIR WILSON announced the consideration of SB 208.
2:43:03 PM
SENATOR BERTA GARDNER, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB
208, said sobriety is important to Alaska because alcohol and
substance abuse have negative impacts every year. Everyone is
affected. According to a McDowell report, the estimated cost of
drug and alcohol abuse to the Alaska economy was over $3 billion
in 2015. It is not possible to quantify the cost in human pain,
damaged families, to children, and to communities. Sobriety
Month helps by giving Alaskans an opportunity to recognize,
promote, and celebrate sobriety. By focusing on the solution, SB
208 gives Alaskans an opportunity to celebrate those who have
achieved sobriety.
2:44:28 PM
JACOB TATUM, Staff, Senator Berta Gardner, Alaska State
Legislature, presented SB 208 on behalf of the sponsor. He noted
the importance of permanently recognizing March as sobriety
month. SB 208 celebrates and promotes tens of thousands who lead
healthy lives free of mind and mood-altering substances. He
reminded members that Alaska suffers some of the highest
substance abuse rates in the nation. SB 208 fosters a culture
conscious of the state's multifaceted substance abuse challenges
and how they can ultimately be overcome. Sobriety has been
recognized as a youth protective factor strongly correlated with
lower rates of future substance abuse and positive life
outcomes. By recognizing a month for sobriety, the hope is to
reestablish positive social norms and send a message to young
people that the majority of their peers do not abuse alcohol and
drugs.
MR. TATUM said SB 208 is the product of the contribution of many
people and organizations. Sobriety Awareness Month started in
1989 with an Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) resolution that
started the AFN sobriety movement. Musher and activist Mike
Williams spearheaded the Ididapledge and ran the Iditarod in
1992 carrying 10,000 signatures pledging sobriety. The
legislature first recognized Sobriety Awareness Month in 1995.
Alaska was the first state in the union to recognize sobriety as
a lifestyle. In 1996 Alaska adopted statutory language
recognizing and appreciating citizens' life of sobriety. From
1996-2006, the legislature passed resolutions to recognize March
Sobriety Month. SB 208 permanently recognizes this month. By
reducing the harm of substance abuse, SB 208 is ultimately about
improving the quality of life for Alaskans, their communities,
and their families.
2:49:11 PM
CHAIR WILSON opened public testimony on SB 208.
2:49:27 PM
TIFFANY HALL, Executive Director, Recover Alaska, supported SB
208. She said the country and especially Alaska have a culture
of drinking. Alaska has the statistics to show it is among the
top in sexual assault, domestic violence, and suicide. It is not
a part of Native culture to drink excessively. Connections to
one's traditional values and cultural values is a protective
factor. She thanked AFN for initiating sobriety month. She was
just in Kiana at a youth-led prevention conference that Recover
Alaska helped to sponsor. What she heard there and in
communities around the state is that youth are tired of adults
drinking all the time and of the perception that youth drink all
the time. Research shows that 78 percent of youth do not drink
alcohol and they want role models in sobriety. Sobriety
Awareness Month helps to fulfill and promote that purpose.
2:51:15 PM
CHAIR WILSON closed public testimony on SB 208.
2:51:44 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report SB 208, Version 30-LS1470\A,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s).
2:52:01 PM
CHAIR WILSON found no objection and SB 208 moved from the Senate
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chair Wilson adjourned the Senate Health and Social Services
Standing Committee at 2:52 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 208 Version A.PDF |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 Sponsor Statement 2.27.18.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB208-LEG-SESS-04-05-18 Fiscal Note.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 AS 47.37.010.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 AST Annual Drug Report 2016.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 Economic Costs of Alchohol Abuse in AK MHTA.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 Protective_Factors_for_Youth_Substance_Abuse_and_Delinquency.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |
| SB 208 2016 AFN Resolution 16-45.pdf |
SHSS 4/9/2018 1:30:00 PM |
SB 208 |