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.

In Depth on the Issue

Lowering the Blood-Alcohol Arrest Level

ABI strongly opposes lowering the blood-alcohol arrest level. The move is an attack on the restaurant and hospitality industries and converts their responsible customers into criminals. Don’t allow your state legislature or municipality to be fooled by a false narrative linking a lower BAC arrest threshold with increased traffic safety.
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In Depth on the Issue

Alcohol and Health

ABI supports moderate, responsible alcohol consumption consistent with one’s own medical needs. While there is a long  standing consensus that moderate alcohol consumption can lower the risk of mortality, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular diseases, efforts to demonize all manners of alcohol consumption have endeavored to dim this “health…
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