www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Some formerly dry communities in USA are allowing alcohol sales in order to generate tax revenues in tough fiscal times, while states are seeking higher alcohol taxes to close their own budget deficits. (Source: Join Together, 10/9/09)

Conclusions from abstract: There is no safe level of alcohol consumption for 15-16 year olds. However, while abstinence removes risk of harms from personal alcohol consumption, its promotion may also push children into accessing drink outside family environments and contribute to higher risks of harm. Strategies to reduce alcohol-related harms in children should ensure bingeing is avoided entirely, address the excessively low cost of many alcohol products and tackle the ease with which it can be accessed, especially outside of supervised environments. (Source: BMC Public Health, 10/9/09)

Interesting news on alcohol politics within EU and WHO. (Switzerland incl.)

The Estonian government agreed on principle on the next state budget 2010 and in order to cover spending in this budget, the state will increase the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco, Estonian dailies write.
It was agreed that the spending will amount to 89 billion kroons and the revenue volume will be 84 billion kroons. If the decision of the government is finalised, next year the excise tax on alcohol will increase by ten percent and excise tax on tobacco will be raised by 20 percent by the beginning of 2011. (Source: Eurocare Newsletter August-September 09) baltic-course.com, 9/25/09

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling announced today that if elected a Tory government would launch a drive against binge drinking and anti-social behaviour by sharply raising taxes on alcopops, cider, super-strength lager and making changes to licensing laws. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 10/8/09) politics.co.uk, 10/7/09

With substance abuse now accounting for one in 14 hospital admissions and generating billions in health care costs, leading scientists held a briefing on Capitol Hill to present the evidence that we already have and the evidence we need in treating and preventing the use and abuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco. …
„Yet researchers have generated considerable evidence on the effectiveness of policies including minimum drinking ages, a tougher approach to drunk driving, and raising alcohol taxes,“ he said.
For example, there is evidence that increasing alcohol taxes to keep pace with inflation would lead to a 19 percent reduction in heavy drinking by youth and a 6 percent reduction in high-risk drinking. Research also has shown that simply changing licensing provisions and modifying hours of service at establishments that sell alcohol can have a significant effect on drinking and drinking-related problems. … (Source: Medical News Today, 10/5/09) Comment: Let’s hope politicians open their ears.

Joseph A. Califano, Jr. says in his blog. „I have two awards to present this week—one for Chutzpah and the other for Hypocrisy.
The First Annual Chutzpah Award goes to the Beer Institute and Brewers Association. The beer merchants’ lobby “proudly announced” last week that it had lined up (lined the pockets of?) 218 members of the US House of Representatives to sponsor legislation to roll back the federal excise tax on beer.
The First Annual Hypocrisy Award goes to Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) and Tom Latham (R-IA) and the 216 other House members who cosponsored the BEER bill to cut the tax on beer in half which will reduce the cost of beer and make this drink fit even more easily into the weekly allowances of teens. As matters now stand, the alcohol industry gets almost 20 percent of its profits from underage drinkers. By lowering the tax and hence the price–but not their profits–the beer merchants are sure to get even more underage drinker dollars. (Source: The Chaiman’s Corner, 10/2/09) (with our online comment)

With the recession food and beverage prices have dropped some to match the dip in consumer spending. Makes sense. So why then is the cost of beer going up? According to a recent MSN Money article, Why Every Cold Beer Costs You More, the biggest beer companies–MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and Pabst Brewing–have increased their prices by nearly 4 percent so far this year, and they expect their prices to continue to climb through the remainder of 2009. These brewers say the increase is paying for “…profit growth and pricier commodities used to make beer.“
The real reason for the price hikes is a tad more embarrassing: skyrocketing executive pay. According to the MSN article, compensation for Bud executives rose by 92 percent: „The top 13 executives made $73 million in the first half of 2009, or $5.6 million each, on average — up from $38 million a year before.“ This is on top of a 79 percent pay increase in 2008. (Source: Marin Institute, 9/29/09)

Setting a minimum price for alcohol could save the Scottish economy £950m over 10 years and prevent 370 deaths annually, according to research published on Monday. The Sheffield University report, commissioned by the Scottish government, based its findings on setting a minimum price of 40p per unit of alcohol, combined with a ban on off-licence promotions. (Source: Google Alkohol Alert, 9/29/09) Financial Times, 9/28/09

Legislation that would cut beer taxes charged to brewers has garnered 218 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, enough to get the measure passed in the 435-member House, according to the Beer Institute. The bill, H.R. 836, would roll back the federal excise tax on beer to 1991 levels, cutting taxes on big breweries like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors from $18 per barrel of beer to $9 per barrel and the tax on smaller breweries from $7 per barrel to $3.50 per barrel. (Source: Join Together, 9/25/09) Comment: Incredible!