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, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives strongly encourage the national networks and local broadcast stations to adopt the same voluntary Code of Advertising Standards with regard to the liquor advertising they will accept that has been adopted by the Wine Institute; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives to each and every national television network and each and every broadcast television station located in the state of Washington.