“The beer industry is serious about the fight on underage drinking,” said NBWA President Craig Purser. “While much progress has been made due to the efforts of parents, teachers, law enforcement and others, we can and must do more.”

NBWA is reiterating to members of the House and Senate that the beer industry is committed to meaningful, effective programs to fight underage drinking. Beer distributors play a critical role in the transparent movement of beer from thousands of brewers to a vast network of licensed retailers.

“State based regulation of alcohol, as provided for by the 21^st Amendment, is central to the fight against illegal underage drinking and abuse,” said Purser. “The leadership demonstrated on this issue by Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) and Tom Osborne (NE-3), as well as Senator Mike DeWine (OH) and the other congressional cosponsors has been outstanding.”

NBWA is also reminding members of Congress that distributors and their brewer partners spend tens of millions of dollars each year promoting responsible consumption of their products by those of legal drinking age and reminding parents to talk to their children about making responsible choices.

In July, the NBWA Board of Directors’ Management Committee overwhelmingly passed a resolution in support of a version of the bill. The group also pledged to work closely with industry partners to gain support for the legislation, and the Association has done just that.

The current draft of the “STOP Underage Drinking Act” has the support of numerous industry groups. In addition to NBWA, the Beer Institute, Brewers Association, the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States support the bill.