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.”