Washington, D.C. (September 11, 2019)—Today, a new report was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs that claims the revenue collected from alcohol excise taxes does not cover the financial cost of “alcohol-related harms.” The American Beverage Institute (ABI) reacts to the report below:
Alcohol abuse can have serious and costly consequences. But it’s important not to conflate the impacts of alcohol abuse with that of moderate and responsible drinking–which has been linked to modest health benefits and can be part of a healthy lifestyle. Policymakers should be hesitant about targeting moderate drinkers for the poor decisions of alcohol abusers via an increase in excise tax rates. Public safety officials should instead focus on curbing legitimately dangerous behavior, rather than discouraging Americans from responsibly enjoying a glass of their favorite beer, wine or spirit.