Attachment 6-Draft Cover Letter to Governors

A

FORM APPROVED

OMB No. 0930-xxxx

Expires MM/DD/YY

ttachment 7

Dear Governor XX:

As Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Chair of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD), it is with pleasure that I invite you and the State of XXX to participate in a landmark opportunity to report on your progress in addressing underage drinking.

As you are aware, underage drinking continues to pose unacceptably high risks to the health and well being of America’s youth. In response, the United States Congress passed the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking (STOP) Act (Pub. L. No. 109-422, § 2, 120 Stat. 2890 (2006)).

The STOP Act supports a multi-faceted effort to more successfully address the problem of underage drinking in the United States. The Act recognizes the need for a focused national effort, and addresses particulars of the Federal portion of that effort, as well as Federal support for State activities.

Among its many provisions, the STOP Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue a report on each State’s underage drinking enforcement activities, programs to deter underage drinking, and financial investment in prevention of underage drinking. Further information on underage drinking and the STOP Act is available at www.stopalcoholabuse.gov.

All of the 50 U.S. States and the District of Columbia are being asked to provide data for the 2011 STOP Act report by completing an online survey. The survey has been developed with input from the Federal agency members of ICCPUD and other interested parties from the public health sector and alcohol industry groups.

Responsibility for gathering data for the STOP Act report has been assigned by the Secretary to SAMHSA. SAMHSA will serve as your point of contact for questions and comments regarding the questionnaire.

SAMHSA estimates that 17.7 staff hours will be required to complete this survey. SAMHSA will report only the data you provide. Any question your State does not answer will be reported as “no data available.” Although the survey is Congressionally mandated, it is optional for States to complete it. We hope you will participate, however, since missing data will limit the usefulness of the report to State and Federal policy makers.

When you have identified the agency or agencies that will be responsible for completing the survey, please send their contact information to [contact person and email]. [Contact person] will also be the point of contact if you have questions or comments.

We hope you will join us in this critical initiative to improve the health of our Nation’s youth.

Sincerely,

Pamela S. Hyde, J.D,

Administrator

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration