Amused
Elite Member
More proof the slipery slope exists... Those who said this kind of thing would stop with tobacco have not only been proven wrong with the fast food and soda taxes, but now this:
Raise Booze Taxes, Study Says
WASHINGTON (Sept. 10) - Underage drinking is a $53 billion problem that needs society-wide treatment, including higher alcohol taxes and tougher sales laws, a new analysis says.
``This is a complex challenge ... to reduce and prevent underage drinking in a society in which drinking is common among adults,'' Richard J. Bonnie, chairman of the committee that prepared the new report for the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, said Tuesday.
Calling its report a wake-up call, the Institute urged a number of steps to curb underage drinking, including higher federal and state taxes, better state identification cards and more aggressive efforts to detect and stop underage drinking parties.
At the same time the report was being issued, the alcoholic beverage industry promised to increasingly target its advertising away from youth.
The Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said their members plan to limit advertising to media with a 70 percent adult audience. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the move ``responsible and appropriate.''
The current standard is over 50 percent adults; the Federal Trade Commission issued its own report Tuesday saying the industry has improved to 99 percent compliance with that standard.
``This report is clearly recognition of our industry's commitment to responsible advertising and marketing,'' said Peter H. Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council.
The FTC study was requested by Congress because of concern that flavored alcoholic malt beverages were being targeted at youth. The commission concluded that was not the case.
Wendy J. Hamilton, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the report ``gives us hope that underage drinking prevention finally will have a place on the nation's public policy and public health agenda.''
Not so happy was Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, who charged that the Institute ``relied on a compilation of existing information, much of which contained erroneous conclusions. ... Given this, we are not surprised to see misguided recommendations such as raising beer excise taxes.
``Experience has shown that the only clear results from increasing beer excise taxes are higher unemployment and higher prices for responsible adults,'' Becker said. ``Such measures do nothing to lower teen drinking.''
The Institute report said that while alcohol use is deeply rooted in American society, underage drinking is a significant factor in traffic fatalities, suicide, violent crimes and academic failure, costing the nation an estimated $53 billion annually.
Committee chairman Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia, said adults need to avoid behavior that tends to encourage underage drinking.
A 2002 study found that 72 percent of 12th-graders and 39 percent of eighth-graders reported having consumed some alcohol in the previous year.
Federal and state excise taxes are potentially important tools for preventing and reducing underage drinking, the report said. The committee said that even small changes in these taxes can lead to a decline in drinking by youths, who tend to have limited income.
Bonnie said he expects opposition to raising taxes, but there is evidence that higher prices have a significant impact on youth drinking.
Federal alcohol taxes are $2.14 per 750-milliliter bottle of 80 proof spirits, 33 cents per six-pack of beer and 21 cents per bottle of wine. State taxes vary.
Among the report's other recommendations:
Compliance checks should be more frequent to make sure merchants are following minimum-age drinking laws.
All sellers and servers of alcohol should be required to complete state-approved training.
The federal government should require states to achieve specified rates of retailer compliance in order to receive federal funds.
States that allow Internet sales and home delivery of alcohol should adopt regulations requiring customers to verify their identity and age at the time of delivery.
The alcohol industry should join public and private groups to create and fund a foundation focusing on reducing underage drinking.
The entertainment industry should establish rating systems and codes to make sure that young people are not exposed to unsuitable messages about alcohol.
The National Academies is an independent organization that provides advice to the government under charter by Congress. It includes the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.
Raise Booze Taxes, Study Says
WASHINGTON (Sept. 10) - Underage drinking is a $53 billion problem that needs society-wide treatment, including higher alcohol taxes and tougher sales laws, a new analysis says.
``This is a complex challenge ... to reduce and prevent underage drinking in a society in which drinking is common among adults,'' Richard J. Bonnie, chairman of the committee that prepared the new report for the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, said Tuesday.
Calling its report a wake-up call, the Institute urged a number of steps to curb underage drinking, including higher federal and state taxes, better state identification cards and more aggressive efforts to detect and stop underage drinking parties.
At the same time the report was being issued, the alcoholic beverage industry promised to increasingly target its advertising away from youth.
The Beer Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said their members plan to limit advertising to media with a 70 percent adult audience. Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called the move ``responsible and appropriate.''
The current standard is over 50 percent adults; the Federal Trade Commission issued its own report Tuesday saying the industry has improved to 99 percent compliance with that standard.
``This report is clearly recognition of our industry's commitment to responsible advertising and marketing,'' said Peter H. Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council.
The FTC study was requested by Congress because of concern that flavored alcoholic malt beverages were being targeted at youth. The commission concluded that was not the case.
Wendy J. Hamilton, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the report ``gives us hope that underage drinking prevention finally will have a place on the nation's public policy and public health agenda.''
Not so happy was Jeff Becker, president of the Beer Institute, who charged that the Institute ``relied on a compilation of existing information, much of which contained erroneous conclusions. ... Given this, we are not surprised to see misguided recommendations such as raising beer excise taxes.
``Experience has shown that the only clear results from increasing beer excise taxes are higher unemployment and higher prices for responsible adults,'' Becker said. ``Such measures do nothing to lower teen drinking.''
The Institute report said that while alcohol use is deeply rooted in American society, underage drinking is a significant factor in traffic fatalities, suicide, violent crimes and academic failure, costing the nation an estimated $53 billion annually.
Committee chairman Bonnie, a professor at the University of Virginia, said adults need to avoid behavior that tends to encourage underage drinking.
A 2002 study found that 72 percent of 12th-graders and 39 percent of eighth-graders reported having consumed some alcohol in the previous year.
Federal and state excise taxes are potentially important tools for preventing and reducing underage drinking, the report said. The committee said that even small changes in these taxes can lead to a decline in drinking by youths, who tend to have limited income.
Bonnie said he expects opposition to raising taxes, but there is evidence that higher prices have a significant impact on youth drinking.
Federal alcohol taxes are $2.14 per 750-milliliter bottle of 80 proof spirits, 33 cents per six-pack of beer and 21 cents per bottle of wine. State taxes vary.
Among the report's other recommendations:
Compliance checks should be more frequent to make sure merchants are following minimum-age drinking laws.
All sellers and servers of alcohol should be required to complete state-approved training.
The federal government should require states to achieve specified rates of retailer compliance in order to receive federal funds.
States that allow Internet sales and home delivery of alcohol should adopt regulations requiring customers to verify their identity and age at the time of delivery.
The alcohol industry should join public and private groups to create and fund a foundation focusing on reducing underage drinking.
The entertainment industry should establish rating systems and codes to make sure that young people are not exposed to unsuitable messages about alcohol.
The National Academies is an independent organization that provides advice to the government under charter by Congress. It includes the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.
