WHEREAS, 24,000 Americans were killed and another 534,000 were seriously injured in 1988 in alcohol-related traffic accidents; and
WHEREAS, An estimated 2 million people were arrested for drunk driving last year; and
WHEREAS, Almost two in every five Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related accident at some time in their lives; and
WHEREAS, Numerous annual meetings of the Southern Baptist Convention have spoken about the destructive effects of alcoholic beverages and the need for legislative action.
Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we, the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 13-15, 1989, express our strong support for the recommendations on drunk driving received by the U.S. Congress which call for an increased excise tax on alcoholic beverages, a sharp and immediate reduction in the legal blood-alcohol limits, an elimination of “happy hours,” a halt to the use of celebrities which imply a link between drinking and athletic, social, and sexual success, and a formation of a national coalition to conduct a national campaign against drunk driving; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we urge Southern Baptist individuals, churches, and state conventions to contact immediately their U.S. Representatives and Senators, asking them to give leadership to and resources for the implementation of said recommendations that they have recently received; and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we urge the Christian Life Commission to work vigorously and in cooperation with other groups to support these recommendations and others to reduce the human wreckage resulting from drunk driving.