March is now Sobriety Awareness Month in Alaska

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker speaks to the attendees of the 23rd Annual Sobriety Celebration. Photo by Reyna Newirth for The Cordova Times

Legislation declaring March to be Sobriety Awareness Month in Alaska was signed into law in Anchorage on Aug. 29, designating a day to celebrate those who choose to be drug-free, said Sen. Berta Gardner, D-Anchorage, a key sponsor of Senate Bill 208.

A large crowd was on hand at Akeela, Inc., one of Alaska’s oldest substance abuse treatment centers, as Gov. Bill Walker signed the legislation.

The bill signing event “was a great reminder of how these small things can truly impact the lives of real people,” Gardner said. “We all understand that Alaska has a terrible problem with alcoholism/drug abuse and all its terrible social and financial costs to individuals, families, communities and government.”

“Sobriety Awareness Month is an effort to celebrate those who choose to be drug-free ad those who conquer their addictions to do so,” she said. “It encourages others to sobriety by modeling success, by demonstrating that treatment works, and by the example of a life in which sobriety is valued and cherished.”

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