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Alcohol is something that many of us have enjoyed in our lives
and anticipate continuing to enjoy.
But, when it’s abused it also brings about not good outcomes for individuals,
and for families, and for our society.
So what we’re talking about today is a plan that the University of Louisville
and the University of Kentucky are joining forces to launch
a state wide partnership to provide alcohol education
to students throughout the commonwealth.
Both schools have instituted programs that are working and
thanks to our friends at Beam and Brown Foreman,
we are going to both be able to expand the programs on our
campuses and expand them statewide so that those students who don’t know how
to use alcohol responsibly, who are using it irresponsibly,
and are using it not to enjoy themselves, but using it in ways that harm themselves,
and harm their campuses can learn how to both not use it if they’re underage
and to use it responsibly if they are of an age that they are able to drink.
You know we have four outstanding brands coming together today
for this and most people think of us as competitors,
certainly athletically, the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky,
Brown Foreman and Beam, but this really creates a very unique public-private
partnership that allows us to do things that we really can’t do
individually or can’t do as well individually.
So I think one of my messages today for you is too remember that this is a very
unique partnership and though we do collaborate a lot educationally across the institutions,
we also do a lot of things in public service, it’s one of those special things that we do.
You know, all together, once this is finished Brown Forman and Beam will have given
more than one million dollars to the two schools since 2008.
That significant amount of money has really allowed us to do a number of things
that have had a very positive impact on the use of alcohol
and the proper and right use of alcohol.
The commitment of the industry to deal with this problem, I think,
is unparalleled and it’s given me an opportunity to learn
a great deal more about these issues and to develop an understanding of what works.
These are complex problems and as Provosts Willinghanz and Tracy just shared with you
the commitment on each of these two campuses to
deal with this issue responsibly and effectively is substantial.