20.997 Alcohol and other Drug Misuse Prevention/Control:
MSSNY supports prevention policies and programs that include, but are not limited to, the following:
(1) Control of the quality, availability, advertising and promotion of alcoholic beverages. Such Controls include:
(a) Maintain a national legal age of purchase of 21 years for all alcoholic Beverages.
(b) Curbs on advertising of all alcoholic beverages, including the voluntary elimination of radio and TV advertising, and intermediate measures, such as the establishment and enforcement of national standards for radio, TV and print advertising which eliminate use of young people, athletes, persons engaging in risky activity and sexual innuendo.
(c) Counter advertising, through paid and public advertising, including health warnings about alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.
(d) Requirements that alcoholic beverage containers display all ingredients and alcoholic content by volume.
(e) Adjusting taxes on beer and wine to equate with those for distilled spirits, and adjusting taxes on all alcoholic beverages for inflation experienced since 1951.
(f) Devoting significant additional funds derived from increased taxes to the support of prevention and research.
(2) Control of the quality, distribution and availability of psychoactive drugs, including:
(a) Measures to prevent the manufacture, importation and sale of illicit drugs.
(b) Programs to prevent diversion of licit drugs for illicit sale and use.
(c) Discouraging the inclusion of alcohol as an ingredient in the formulation of medicines beyond the minimum required as a solvent.
(d) Promotion of safe and appropriate prescribing practices for drugs which may produce dependency.
(e) Warning labels on prescription and over-the-counter drugs describing possible adverse interactions with alcohol and other drugs.
(f) Warning labels indicating the potential of a drug to produce dependence.
(g) Programs to educate health professionals about identification of drug abusing, manipulative patients seeking psychoactive drugs for inappropriate use.
(3) Scientifically sound education for all segments of society including:
(a) Age-appropriate education about the nature and effects of alcohol and drug use, including alternatives to such use, throughout the school curriculum.
(b) Public education about the nature and causes of alcoholism and other drug dependence, the interaction of alcohol and other drugs, alternative techniques of managing stress, and the effects of alcohol and drugs on health and safety.
(c) Adequate professional education about alcohol and drug problems in all programs which prepare students for careers in health, human services, teaching, the clergy, police, public administration and law.
(d) Programs to keep practicing health professionals abreast of new knowledge and of current law and regulation relating to alcohol and drugs.
(e) Avoidance of glamorization of alcohol and drug use and abuse by the media.
(f) Accurate reporting of the adverse societal consequences of alcohol and drug use in the print and broadcast news.
(g) Special programs aimed at populations known to be at high risk, including children of alcoholic and drug-dependent parents, pregnant women, medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and veterinary students, health professionals, persons recovering from alcohol or drug dependence, persons undergoing stressful life situations and others.
(h) Education for bartenders and other servers of alcoholic beverages about safe serving practices and prevention of harm to a person who is alcohol-impaired.
(i) Inclusion of accurate information on alcohol and drug use in all health prevention programs.
(j) Measures to discourage or deter the manufacture, sale and promotion of drug paraphernalia (products designed to process, prepare and administer illegal substances).
(Council 9/12/85) (Modified and Reaffirmed HOD 2013; Reaffirmed HOD 2023-151; reaffirmed HOD 2023)
