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                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4008

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representatives Fuhrman, Sprenkle, Padden, Valle, Chandler, Pruitt, D. Sommers, Leonard, Schoon, Rasmussen, Ballard, Heavey, Moyer, Dorn, Cole, Hargrove, Nelson, Nealey, Ferguson, Beck, Patrick, Crane, Tate, K. Wilson, Betrozoff, Jacobsen, Rector, Todd, Wood, Morris, Anderson, Dellwo, Brumsickle, Brekke, Raiter, Wineberry, Spanel, Phillips, Rust, G. Fisher, Silver, Wolfe, Prentice, Bowman, Basich, Brough, Walker, Youngsman, Scott and May

Read first time 2/3/89 and referred to Committee on State Government.

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:

          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, Washington residents are very concerned about the great number of terrible accidents caused by drunk drivers, particularly youthful drivers, and each year members of the Washington state legislature receive innumerable requests from their constituents to strengthen the laws against drunk driving; and

          WHEREAS, Studies show that alcoholic beverage consumption is involved in approximately fifty percent of highway accidents, that beer is the preferred beverage of a majority of the intoxicated drivers involved in crashes or arrested for driving while intoxicated, and that beer drinking and driving while intoxicated is particularly a problem among young males; and

          WHEREAS, The average child spends approximately five hours a week watching television commercials, many of which are commercials for alcoholic beverages; and

          WHEREAS, In 1987 Professors Neil Postman of New York University, Christine Nystrom of New York University, Lance Strate of the University of Connecticut, and Charles Weingartner of the University of South Florida researched the impact of beer commercials and television watching by children and concluded in a report published by the AAA foundation for traffic safety that the commercials are a significant cause of drinking and driving by young drivers and strongly recommended that the commercials be prohibited;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress enact a law prohibiting any alcoholic beverage commercials on television, or , in the alternative, that Congress prohibit the use of images of automobiles, racetracks, speedboats, and other references to driving and speed in alcoholic beverage commercials on television.

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