Alcohol Justice

05 Mar 2024

Alcohol Justice

We promote evidence-based public health policies and organize campaigns with diverse communities and youth against the alcohol industry’s harmful practices.

Alcohol Justice
ALCOHOL JUSTICE eNEWS - Fall 2023 Worst Practices: New Report Sheds Light on CA Legislature's Reckless Alcohol Deregulating; BAC to the Future? More States Join the Move to Reform; Alcohol Action Network Receives National Recognition; Dunkin' Spiked Brings Shame to Ben Affleck SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA (November 22, 2023) – Alcohol Justice just published its Fall eNews. The quick-read highlights current stories about alcohol industry shenanigans and public health and safety advocates’ responses. BREAKING: Alcohol Justice releases a comprehensive, damning overview of California alcohol legislative trends over the past decade, uncovering the real scope of deregulation. TOP STORY: The 2023 legislative season is done, and advocates celebrate losses, mourn victories, and continue to dig in against Big Alcohol's proxies in Sacramento. IN THE AJ DOGHOUSE: Dunkin' joins the rush to put booze in everything you—and Ben Affleck—ever liked during your childhood. ALSO • National Calls for a 0.05 BAC Grow Louder, But States Are Slow to Lis • Investigators find alcopops associated with sexual assault—and predation (Health Behavior Research) • Confronting the myths that stop effective alcohol taxes (Global Health Now) • Emerging initiative to bridge alcohol research and advocacy gains national award (AJ via Alcohol Action Network) Read the complete Alcohol Justice Fall eNews here: https://bit.ly/3SQ2KC2
Alcohol Justice eNews - Fall 2023
CIRCLING THE BARREL Alcohol Legislative Trends 2013-2022 & The California 10-Year Review of Alcohol Policy New Report From Alcohol Justice Presented At The Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2023, Cape Town, South Africa CAPETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA (October 25, 2023) – Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Research Director at California-based Alcohol Justice, and lead author of Alcohol Legislative Trends 2013-2022 & The California 10-Year Review of Alcohol Policy, presented the new report today at The Global Alcohol Policy Conference 2023, Cape Town, South Africa. The report is based upon a systematic evaluation of alcohol-related California legislation from 2013 to 2022. Key findings indicate an accelerated pace of deregulatory changes to California alcohol and related codes that move the state further from the evidence-based protective policies laid out in the World Health Organization (WHO)’s SAFER Technical Package.  From the report: “To promote effective legislation, the World Health Organization’s Safer technical package provides an evidence-based collection of protective policies for lawmakers.” “We know what works and what doesn’t in terms of keeping people alive, keeping them healthy, and keeping them safe,” said Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, MSPH, Research Director at Alcohol Justice. “We have 80 years of research into it. What we don’t always know is how far our leaders are moving us away from it, and how fast, and in what ways. That’s what we set out to answer—what are California legislators doing, and how can we hold them accountable?”  From the report: “Over the 10-yer period, 380 bills were identified as potentially affecting alcohol policy in California. Of these, 319 addressed policies within a SAFER domain.” “It’s hard for me to believe that even with the state’s own well-documented litany of increasing alcohol-related mortality and other harms and costs to California residents, visitors and government, the legislature consistently introduces bills to make the industry more profitable at the extreme expense of public health and safety,” stated Cruz Avila, Executive Director, Alcohol Justice. “This must change.”  From the report: In California “…alcohol-related deaths spiked 25.5% between 2019 and 2020, outpacing the overall increase in mortality–an overall increase that included COVID-19 deaths.” “International roadmaps like the WHO’s SAFER initiative are powerful; SAFER not only provides unprecedented guidelines to reduce alcohol harm on a global scale, but represents decades of dedication maintained by public health advocates like Alcohol Justice,” said Hailey Fromkin, Co-Author, Alcohol Justice. “As a researcher joining the ranks of passionate players working to reduce the insidious and pervasive suffering caused by alcohol in society, I am proud of reports like this one, which offer vital insight into how the SAFER vision is playing out in real-time legislation.”  From the report: “…California fell short, with alcohol tax policies rated red (completely noncompliant with best practices), and dram shop and overconcentration protections rated yellow (severely compromised).” “This is an extremely important and useful if discouraging report which confirms my perspective that in many states, but especially in California, alcohol industry producers and retailers have an undue influence in the legislative process,” stated Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD, Senior Scientist, Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, Board Member, Alcohol Justice. “That has resulted in regular policy backward slippage that makes alcohol more and more available, despite steadily increasing costs to society and damage to public health.”  From the report: “By all indications, the California legislature is being heavily pressured–culturally, economically, and/or via industry influence–to empower industry to the detriment of public health.” “This report is a much needed wake-up call for California policymakers that Government Under the Influence of Big Alcohol is causing great harm to the people and the state,” said Michael Scippa, Public Affairs Director at Alcohol Justice. “We look forward to the day that our legislators embrace and apply the grounded-in-evidence WHO SAFER Package to all future California alcohol-related legislation. That simple action will result in policies that protect public health, instead of industry sales and profits which the past ten years of California alcohol-related legislation have favored.” Download the report here: https://bit.ly/3ZXD7ki or scan the QRCode
CIRCLING THE BARREL
CA State Senator Scott Wiener's SB 76 will create "party zones" of drinking on the street - while cars drive right through the party. Go to https://alcoholjustice.org/watchdogging/take-action/1504-stop-sb-76 or Text JUSTICE to 716-271-2182.
STOP CA SB 76 - Wiener's "Party Zone" bill will turn Main St. into Bourbon Street.
Take Action Now to STOP CA AB 840 - Cal State student lives are more valuable than revenue from Big Alcohol booze ads! TAKE ACTION here: https://bit.ly/46kUEFZ Or text PUBLICHEALTH to 716-271-2182
STOP CA AB 840 - Alcohol Ads Hurt Undergrads!
Testimony of by Dru Zackmeyer, CalPoly's Assistant VP, Strategic Business Services, talking about how 12 thousand SLO K-12 students will "benefit" from increased alcohol revenue to the school.
7 11 23 CA Sen GO AB840 Zacmeyer
Testimony on AB 840 (Addis) begins at 1:10:45 AB 840 is intended to suspend three-tier regulations and open up the sporting and entertainment facilities of a large number of Cal State campuses to alcohol advertising. Alcohol Justice and the California Alcohol Policy Alliance testified in opposition. STUDENTS SHOULD BE OFF-LIMITS TO ALCOHOL ADS AB 840's reckless strategy crosses multiple domains: 1) Unlike most deregulation, it selectively targets underage youth. By our conservative estimates, there are at least 180,000 Cal State students under the age of 21. 2) The scope of these exemptions is an extraordinary case of overreach. By ramping up alcohol advertising in nearly every campus, AB 840 is excusing local legislators of the obligation of making the request and opening themselves up to feedback from constituents. 3) The three-tier system exists for a reason: to prevent monopolization and corporate price controls that lead to the most harmful alcohol consumption patterns. By hurting Cal State students, this bill rewards the mega-corporations who least need a leg up. 4) Raising funds for education by selling a product that hurts or kills a significant number of students is self-defeating. The consequences of youth consumption should be self-evident: alcohol-related fatalities (fatal accidents including motor vehicle crashes, suicides, and homicides) are the leading killers of youth ages 15-19 (CDC 2023) and 3 of the 4 leading causes of death for college students between 18 and 24 years of age (Turner 2013; the fourth cause on that list is cancer, some forms of which are also alcohol related). The facts that exposure to advertising makes a child more likely to start drinking younger and increases the amount consumed when they do drink (Anderson et al., 2009; Smith & Foxcroft, 2009) is well established, and recent research suggests it may be associated with more binge drinking (Jernigan et al. 2017). The stature of California’s higher education system should be protected and nurtured. However, there is every reason to believe that increasing the penetration of alcohol corporations into student lives does the opposite. California students deserve to be healthy, engaged, and alive. For this reason, we must demand that the legislature VOTE NO ON AB 840. TAKE ACTION HERE: https://alcoholjustice.org/watchdogging/take-action/1503-stop-ab-840 Or text PUBLICHEALTH to 313131
AB 840 - CA Sen. GO Committee Hearing 7/11/23
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA (May 31, 2023) – Alcohol Justice has just released its Spring eNews. The quick-read highlights current interesting stories about alcohol industry shenanigans and public health and safety advocates’ responses
Alcohol Justice eNews – Spring Edition
Alcohol Justice Tells California Governor Newsom: Stop Subsidizing Alcohol Producers and Include an Alcohol Excise Tax Adjustment in the “May Revision” to Raise Billions to Help Balance the State Budget San Rafael, CA (April 24, 2023) – In a letter sent to California Governor Gavin Newsom and key state budget leaders Alcohol Justice is encouraging raising the state’s current alcohol excise tax to a reasonably modern level to contribute an additional $4.66 billion in State revenue over the next ten years, while reducing youth consumption, alcohol-related violence, disease, and traffic fatalities. “We are writing out of serious concern regarding two issues confronting California: the state’s estimated $22.5 billion budget deficit (Walters, 2023), and the nearly 20,000 annual deaths from alcohol-related causes estimated by the state’s Department of Public Health (CADPH; Jimenez, Demeter & Pinsker, 2023),” stated Cruz Avila, Executive Director/CEO of Alcohol Justice in his letter. “We strongly urge you to consider raising the state’s alcohol excise taxes in the May Budget Revision – a potential win/win that would raise revenue and curb mortality.” The last alcohol tax increase in California was in 1992 and just a penny per glass of wine and two cents per can of beer and shot of spirits. Since then, rising inflation has led to a 52% percent decrease in state alcohol tax revenue—the tax now brings back less than 50 cents on the dollar compared its original value. Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate California state and local government costs for alcohol-related problems to be $14.47 billion annually, including healthcare and criminal justice expenses, adding to the state’s economic woes. Alcohol Justice calculates that $4.66 billion in new revenue would be generated over ten years by simply adjusting alcohol taxes for inflation. Another option would be to enact a “Nickel a Drink” increase on beer, wine and spirits that would generate $8.81 billion in new revenue over ten years. Along with helping to avoid more draconian budget cuts, Alcohol Justice is dedicated to reversing the catastrophe of alcohol-related harm by reducing excessive consumption and providing needed funds to mitigate harms. The California Department of Public Health released an analysis in January this year that stated California suffered 19,335 alcohol-related deaths annually from 2020-2021. “While the total harmful cost of alcohol to the state is equal to $2.44 per drink, and the government’s share is $1.01 cents, current state alcohol taxes make back less than 16% of the cost of that drink,” said Carson Benowitz-Fredericks, Research Director at Alcohol Justice. “Clearly, Big Alcohol has been very effective in minimizing their taxes and fees and avoiding paying for their fair share of the harm.” “Every year thousands of California lives are cut short or forever damaged due to alcohol,” stated Michael Scippa, Director of Public Affairs for Alcohol Justice. “The human toll and the economic costs are truly staggering. By not adjusting the state’s alcohol excise tax upwards every year the legislature is boosting Big Alcohol profits with a government subsidy. Our elected leaders need to add an alcohol tax adjustment to any budget-balancing plan this year and every year hereafter.” For additional information, please visit AlcoholJustice.org. While there, you can also use the Alcohol Justice Alcohol Tax Calculator to explore other options to raise state income from alcohol taxes. To send a message to Governor Newsom and state budget leaders in support of an alcohol excise tax increase: Text the word FairTax to 716-271-2182. ###
Increase Revenue, Reduce Harm, Raise the CA Alcohol Excise Tax
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Marin Institute (2006-2011)
Alcohol Justice Research Manager Carson Benowitz-Fredericks comments upon the hail Mary pass to save the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act of 2017, which has been extended for one more year. While it may prolong the growth of the glut of America's small craft brewers, the major benefits flow through to the biggest global brewers who really don't need a tax break.
Why Big Alcohol Doesn't Need a Tax Break
SAN RAFAEL, CA (September 14, 2019) – Alcohol Justice and the California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA) expressed deep gratitude today as the California State Assembly voted to stop SB 58. 35 members voted NO, 29 voted Yes. 15 members did not vote, another way of making sure Senator Scott Wiener would be handed his 3rd failure in three years of attempting to establish a so-called “pilot project” to give some California cities the ability to extend last call at bars, restaurants, and clubs. To read more: https://bit.ly/2mnc3fJ To thank the Assemblymembers who opposed SB 58: Text JUSTICE to 313131
CA SB 58 Fails as Lawmakers Choose Public Health & Safety Over Nightlife Profits
The CA Assembly Appropriations Committee amended SB 58 - the 4 a.m. bar bill - to the 3 a.m.m bar bill. Public health and safety advocates quickly pointed out that the protections of a statewide, uniform, 2 a.m. last call would still be disrupted. A dangerous hodgepoge of closing times across the state would lead to "commuting drunks" and more alcohol-related harm. Text JUSTICE to 313131 to tell the CA Assembly to #STOP3amBarBill.
The Pathology of Terrible Public Policy
California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA), and Alcohol Justice are outraged by Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) tone-deaf, third, Quixotic attempt to push the legislature in the direction of increasing profits for the nightlife industry at public expense. SB 58 is nearly identical to his SB 905 that was vetoed in September 2018 by Governor Brown who stated: "I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem." TAKE ACTION NOW to STOP SB 58: https://bit.ly/2HmLTC6
#STOP4amBarBill - Text JUSTICE to 313131
California needs more positive spaces for its LGBTQ residents—spaces that promote acceptance, solidarity, and health. Yet in a move that would make the Trump administration proud, one of California’s most prominent gay legislators is masking a campaign to deregulate a lethal industry under the guise of helping the LGBTQ community. For almost three years now, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has been working to extend bar closing times from the 2 a.m. standard out to 4 a.m. His latest effort is SB 58. As with the previous two failed iterations of the bill, SB 58 openly recognizes that the economic windfall will be reaped by the large hotels, convention halls, and mega-promoters that endorse the bill. As with so many other public health catastrophes, that sort of money-chasing leaves the LGBTQ community to bear a disproportionate share of the harm. There is plenty of harm to go around. Alcohol use kills over 10,600 Californians yearly, or one alcohol-related death per hour. While 159,000 Californians receive treatment for alcohol abuse, that represents less than 15% of the number in need of it. Alcohol use costs the state $35 billion annually, of which $25.8 billion stems directly from binge drinking. And these numbers are rising fast; CDC scientists report that rates of alcohol abuse increased nearly 50% in a decade. Far from generating money for the state, early-morning bar times will worsen all of these figures. To read more go to: https://alcoholjustice.org/take-actio...
CAPA LGBTQ+ Caucus Opposes Wiener's 4 a.m. Bar Bill
On March 8, 2019, Youth For Justice hosted the launch of a new Alcohol Justice and San Rafael Alcohol & Drug Coalition report entitled ALCOPOPS 2020 - Time to End Big Alcohol’s Predation on Youth. The report on dangerous youth-attractive, flavored malt beverages (FMBs) known as alcopops, was presented to the public at a press event at Alcohol Justice’s offices in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael. Then the participants, led by Youth For Justice, marched to a rally at the Circle K close by. This is one of the few businesses in the Canal that has failed to respond to community concerns over their continued sale of alcopops. The activists demanded once again that the products be voluntarily removed from the business. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/2UusFyq
Alcopops 2020! Youth For Justice vs. Circle K
California Alcohol Policy Alliance (CAPA), and Alcohol Justice are outraged by Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) tone-deaf, third, Quixotic attempt to push the legislature in the direction of increasing profits for the nightlife industry at public expense. SB 58 is nearly identical to his SB 905 that was vetoed in September 2018 by Governor Brown who stated: "I believe we have enough mischief from midnight to 2 without adding two more hours of mayhem." TAKE ACTION NOW to STOP SB 58: https://bit.ly/2HmLTC6
3rd Times The Harm - Stop SB 58
Youth Talk About Alcohol
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