Change can and will be made in Bermuda – and it is up to every Bermudian to make a difference by assuming personal responsibility when it comes to alcohol.

That is according to Anthony Santucci, Chairman of the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) who spoke at the weekly meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club on underage drinking.

Mr. Santucci said CADA had two objectives for April, which is Alcohol Awareness Month, to highlight personal responsibility in order to reduce the incidences of underage drinking and drunk driving in Bermuda.

"Our children and young people have free access to alcohol," said Mr. Santucci. "This was proved in the responses they gave in a 2007 survey of 3,000 of Bermuda's youth aged between 13 and 18, 67 percent of those surveyed said they had tried alcohol and in the same survey the youngest age of first use of alcohol was 11 years old."

Mr. Santucci claimed those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol addiction than those who wait until age 21. He said it was the responsibility of adults to do more than just take away car or bike keys during a party or control alcohol intake.

"Our responsibility as adults is to put an end to underage drinking, once and for all," he said. He suggested locking away all alcohol, including alcohol in the fridge, providing a good example by limiting alcohol intake, talking with children and demanding that all establishments that sell alcohol request identification before selling it. According to Mr. Santucci, 70 percent of all traffic deaths in Bermuda involved drugs and or alcohol. He encouraged everyone and anyone who may go out drinking to make a plan to get home – before they even leave their house.

"There are several options available, catch a bus, take a cab or have a designated driver," he said. "We encourage people to take responsibility before they even start drinking."

He said CADA had specific goals in mind about changing Bermuda's relationship with alcohol, which include reducing both underage drinking and drunk driving in Bermuda, increasing the life skills of Bermuda's youth and lobby for a new alcohol authority in Bermuda. "This authority will provide training and support for licensed establishments and will also oversee and enforce the responsible sale, service and advertising of alcohol," he said. "Our last goal is to successfully lobby for changes to Bermuda's Liquor Licence and Road Traffic legislation."

Mr. Santucci pledged that CADA would continue to work closely with its community partners, the Bermuda Police Service and the Road Safety Council. Today as part of "Know Alcohol Day", CADA board members, staff and volunteers will greet morning traffic with Johnny Barnes at Crow Lane.