www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s ill-conceived plan to privatize the sale of spirits in his state will jeopardize the public’s health and cost the state money, as findings from peer-reviewed studies illustrate. One such study was published this month in the journal Addiction.
The new study concluded that privatizing Sweden’s government monopoly on the sale of alcohol would significantly increase alcohol-related harm, including violence. Depending on the type of privatization enacted, total alcohol consumption in Sweden is predicted to increase by 17 – 37%, with thousands more alcohol-related deaths, assaults, and drunk driving offenses per year and as many as 11 million more days of sick leave. (Source: Marin Institute, 9/06/10)

In this prolonged down economy, most states are looking at any and every idea that might produce revenue to cover budget shortfalls. In many control states, or alcohol beverage control states as they are sometimes called, the recession has led to a wave of sometimes heated discussions in state legislatures over whether to privatize the sale of alcohol in order to generate more revenue for the states. (Source: Marin Institute, 2/20/10)