H-3344.2          _______________________________________________

                             HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4028

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Representatives Heavey, Franklin, Fuhrman and Sprenkle

Read first time 01/15/92.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.Petitioning Congress to establish a "fairness doctrine" for alcohol advertising.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION:

     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

     WHEREAS, Adult citizens of this state have the right to use alcohol in a responsible manner; and

     WHEREAS, Alcohol is an illegal drug for persons under twenty-one years of age; and

     WHEREAS, It has been estimated that over fifty thousand students in grades six through twelve can be considered heavy drinkers and over fifty percent have tried alcohol; and

     WHEREAS, Almost one-half of the deaths and almost one-quarter of the disabling injuries on our highways result from accidents involving drivers under the influence of alcohol; and

     WHEREAS, As a class, young people are greatly overrepresented in the number of alcohol-related collisions, making alcohol-related accidents the leading cause of death for sixteen to twenty-four year olds in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, Alcohol abuse has been linked to a wide array of family and health problems, causing much pain and suffering; and

     WHEREAS, The treatment of these problems raises the cost of health care for all citizens of the state; and

     WHEREAS, Approximately one hundred forty-five babies are born in Washington state each year with fetal alcohol syndrome; and

     WHEREAS, Fetal alcohol syndrome is the third leading cause of mental retardation in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, More than one-third of the arrests in the United States each year are related to alcohol abuse, costing taxpayers one hundred fifty million dollars a year for the arrest, trial, and jail time of these people; and

     WHEREAS, Advertising has a tremendous effect on the attitudes, beliefs, social behavior, and consumer behavior of citizens of all ages, especially young persons; and

     WHEREAS, It is estimated that over seventy percent of high school seniors watch some television every day; and

     WHEREAS, The average primary and secondary level student spends more time watching television than doing homework; and

     WHEREAS, Many advertisers have taken advantage of this eager market by explicitly or implicitly purveying the message that alcohol contributes to a person's attractiveness, athletic ability, professional ability, or social status; and

     WHEREAS, Advertisers have also attempted to make alcohol appealing to young people by linking alcohol to various animated characters and mascots; and

     WHEREAS, Some alcohol advertisements convey a sexist message by objectifying women;

     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress enact a law establishing a "fairness doctrine" for alcohol advertising, requiring that any federal communications commission licensee who permits the advertising of alcoholic beverages provide equal time for public service messages designed to educate the public about the problems associated with alcohol use and abuse.

     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George Bush, President of the United States, the Federal Communications Commission, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.