HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-08-22 Proclamation (2)
PROCLAIMING SEPTEMBER ALCOHOL AND DRUG ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH
WHEREAS, alcohol and drug related problems are a major social and economic problem in the City of
Bangor and Penobscot County, and cost the area more than $100 million annually; and
WHEREAS, addiction is a major health problem that affects people of all ages and backgrounds due
to its significant medical, societal, and economic costs. In 2010, Penobscot County had
over 3,700 people treated for addiction, with over 2,500 treated for opiate addiction; and
WHEREAS, with national estimates of 20 million people in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction,
there are an estimated 9,000 recovering addicts and alcoholics living in Penobscot
County, leading healthy and productive lives in recovery, serving as assets to the
community, volunteering countless hours, and carrying the message of recovery; and
WHEREAS, the recovering community, through the Bangor Area Recovery Network and the Bangor
Area Recovering Community Coalition, mobilized itself to advocate for sustained funding
for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, and has contributed thousands
of volunteer hours to achieve the following accomplishments: successfully completing its
first full year of operations for the BARN, its community recovery center; convening the
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4 Annual Recovery Summit Conference on Addiction Recovery on September 7;
participating in a one-of-its-kind study with the University of Maine that measures
“resiliency” in recovery, that has since been submitted for peer review; receiving a grant
from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation to implement a volunteer management
system at its community recovery center; and hosting the first annual “Ride for Recovery”
motorcycle ride and fundraiser on September 24, 2011, National Recovery Day.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SUSAN M. HAWES, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BANGOR, on behalf of the
City Council and citizens of Bangor, do hereby proclaim September 2011 as ALCOHOL AND DRUG
ADDICTION RECOVERY MONTH in Bangor and call upon our citizens to observe this month with
appropriate activities and ceremonies in support of this year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery:
Recovery Benefits Everyone.”
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Given this the 22 day of August 2011.
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Mayor Susan M. Hawes