Laura has been doing a great job of getting interesting speakers for Drinking Liberally, and last nights’ speaker was a good example. Laura invited Missy Bird, the executive director of the Planned Parenthood Action Council. Missy talked about the proposed sex education bill and the discussion it’s already gotten despite not being an actual bill yet. The Salt Lake Tribune has a good article that talks about some of what’s already been going on, like Senator Chris Buttars flying out an “expert” to try and discredit groups like Planned Parenthood and comprehensive sex education.

Missy also had some interesting statistics that illustrated the need for comprehensive sex education, like:

• Every day in Utah 12 teenage girls aged 15-19 become pregnant. In 2007, 4356 young girls in Utah, ages 15-19, became pregnant. (According to the Utah Department of Health – 2007)
• In 2007, 62% of births to unmarried mothers were to those under the age of 24. 2747 of those births were to unmarried mothers under the age of 19 (again according to the Utah Department of Health, 2007)
• In a 2006 national survey, 26% of high school students who dropped out of school said that they did so because they became parents. (The Silent Epidemic, Civic Enterprises, Peter D. Hart Research Associates, produces for Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
• In 2007, 72% of 15-17 year old girls who give birth reported that their pregnancy was unintended. Of 18-19 year old girls, the number was 67%. (Utah Department of Health, 2007)
• Roughly 57% of new chlamydia infections and 42% of new gonorrhea infections occur among youth ages 15-24. (Utah Department of Health, 2007)
• In Utah, you’re more likely to get chlamydia than you are H1N1 flu.

Liberal Drinkers -

We like to share a drink as we share our politics. But it turns out the makers of Budweiser aren’t so concerned about sharing the planet. They’re part of an organization that denies global warming — pitting the King of Beers against Mother Earth.

Tell Budweiser to quit the chamber:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/chamber_dl/?rc=drinking_10192009_chamber

Anheuser-Busch, the makers of Bud, are on the Board of the Chamber of Commerce. This organization has threatened to sue the EPA if it tries to regulate greenhouse gases. This radical stance has already led many companies, including Apple, to drop the Chamber.

Anheuser-Busch, it’s time to toast the Chamber farewell:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/chamber_dl/?rc=drinking_10192009_chamber

Climate change isn’t just a general threat — it actually has directly affected hops production, making it pricier to produce high-quality beer. It’s time that Budweiser sides with its customers, its brewing and its planet.

And if you do drop the Chamber, we’ll all raise a glass and say, “This Bud’s for you.”

Join us now and call upon Bud to quit:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/chamber_dl/?rc=drinking_10192009_chamber