Governor LePage Proclaims December 2-8, 2018 Alcohol Awareness Week

December 2, 2018

WHEREAS, alcohol abuse profoundly and negatively affects countless individuals, families, and workplaces in Maine; and

WHEREAS, one out of four Americans experience family problems related to alcohol abuse and alcohol plays a role in one out of three failed marriages; and

WHEREAS, alcohol is a major factor in accidents, homicides, and suicides, the three leading causes of death among 15-24 year olds; and

WHEREAS, people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who wait until age 21; and

WHEREAS, alcohol is implicated in more than 40% of all college academic problems and 28% of all college dropouts; and

WHEREAS, people who drink heavily are at increased risk of developing liver disease, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, and certain forms of cancer; and

WHEREAS, drinking during pregnancy can lead to serious and permanent brain damage in the unborn child.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL R. LEPAGE, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim December 2-8, 2018 as ALCOHOL AWARENESS WEEK throughout the State of Maine, and urge all citizens to recognize this observance.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this twenty-eighth day of November Two-Thousand Eighteen

Paul R. LePage
Governor