www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Local officials in Washington state say that two proposed initiatives to deregulate the state’s liquor industry would shrink their budgets, the Columbian reported Oct. 12.
The state collects monies from excise taxes and from permits, licenses, and retail sales paid to the state’s liquor control board. Those funds are distributed to the state’s cities and counties each year. (Source: Join Together, 10/21/10)

Three Oklahoma officials urged state lawmakers to raise the alcohol tax to help address a 2012 fiscal year budget deficit that could be as large as $800 million, the Associated Press reported Oct. 14.
Health Commissioner Terry Cline and Mental Health Commissioner Terri White were joined by Department of Human Services director Howard Hendrick in advocating for the alcohol tax increase.
Cline said that his agency cut employees and services to meet a 15 percent cut for the past two years. „One or two years of cuts to that infrastructure could result in decades of loss in terms of well-being for constituents in our system,“ he said. (Source: Join Together, 10/18/10)

Research showing that some alcohol is now cheaper than bottled water, published in today’s New Zealand Medical Journal, is very concerning and backs the view that price rises are an essential part of addressing binge drinking, says the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA).
„We were disappointed when the Government ruled out raising excise tax on alcohol, as recommended by the Law Commission report. International evidence shows that cheap alcohol leads to increased consumption,“ says NZMA Chair Dr Peter Foley. (Source: Medical News Today, 10/15/10)

Eastern European teenagers, particularly girls, are closing the drinking gap with their Western European and American counterparts, Reuters Health reported Oct. 4. According to a new study, the number of adolescents in Eastern Europe who reported getting drunk rose by 40 percent between 1998 and 2006. Although the increase was seen in both genders, the rate was higher among girls. (Source: Join Together, 10/12/10) with our online-comment: J.P. tells us the arguments of the alcohol industry. They won’t become better by reproducing them always again. Alcohol taxes on alcopops have dropped the sales in Switzerland by 75%. Binge drinking is still rising. The effect of advertising is clearly shown by recent research. You can hardly find any government in Western Europe which started new alcohol taxes or has risen existing ones. The pressure of the industry is just too strong.

Put on the ballot by the Wine Institute (along with Chevron and the California Chamber of Commerce), Proposition 26 will prevent the alcohol industry from being held accountable for the harm it causes in California. So far, Big Alcohol has donated more than $700,000 to the measure. – Read More – Take Action (Source: Marin INstitute News, 10/7/10)

Doubling taxes on alcohol products could lead to substantial reductions in alcohol-related deaths, STD rates, and crime, Health.com reported Sept. 24.
Health policy researchers at the University of Florida in Gainesville analyzed data from 50 studies examining the relationship between alcohol taxes, mortality, and risky behaviors. (The studies took place between 1955 and 2004, and most were conducted in the U.S.)
Statistical estimates based on the findings showed a 50 percent alcohol tax increase could effectively reduce alcohol-related mortality by 35 percent, automobile fatalities by 11 percent, STD rates by 6 percent, violence by 2 percent, and crime by 1.4 percent. The only measure in which higher taxes did not significantly reduce alcohol-related harms was for suicide. (Source: Join Together, 9/29/10)

San Franciso Mayor Gavin Newsom vetoed a proposed fee on alcohol distribution, the San Franciso Chronicle reported Sept. 22.
The city’s Board of Supervisors had approved the proposal, but there were not enough votes to overturn the veto. Under the proposal, the city planned to collect a surcharge on alcohol distribution to pay for services associated with problem drinking, such as ambulance trips, hospital care, prevention programs, and a sobering center. (Source: Join Together, 9/12/10)

The BMA, Alcohol Focus Scotland and Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) yesterday [Wednesday 22 September 2010] expressed deep disappointment over the Health Committee’s decision to remove minimum pricing from the Alcohol Bill. Dr Brian Keighley, Chairman of the BMA in Scotland said:
„This is a missed opportunity for our parliamentarians who had a real opportunity to drive forward public health policy, not just in Scotland but in the rest of the world. I am frustrated and disappointed that the debate on such a serious health issue has been polarised and that many opposition MSPs had made their minds up before even considering the evidence presented to the Committee. The inclusion of a ’sunset clause‘ offered an opportunity to test the effectiveness of minimum pricing and provide doubters with the reassurances they had initially sought. Sadly, now we will never know. (Source: Medical News Today, 9/23/10)

San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has approved a surcharge on alcohol distribution to offset costs associated with problem drinking, the Associated Press reported Sept. 15.
The Board approved the fee 7-3, with one abstention. The proposal needed eight votes to survive a veto by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has said he opposes it. (Source: Join Together, 9/16/10)

Fresh Story Blog: Despite the fact that local, state, and federal lawmakers are desperate to plug holes in their budgets, advocates of alcohol taxes have struggled to gain traction. They should take heart from a Fresh Story blog post, the first in a series, published online on Aug. 31.
It’s an excellent primer on the history of federal alcohol taxes and why it makes sense to raise them now.
Taxes on alcohol have a long history in the United States. In fact, according to Fresh Story, “the first tax ever enacted by the U.S. Congress was a tax on distilled spirits … in 1791.” While they now contribute less than 1% of federal revenue, taxes on alcohol used to contribute a significant portion of federal revenue — 11% as recently as 1941. (Source: Join Together, 9/14/10) Sep 14, 2010 04:21 PM CDT by Benjamin Chambers