11-09-2003 05:29									#1
	First Tobacco, Now They Are Going After Alcohol Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...h_drinking_dc_3

quote: Raise Beer Tax to Reduce Teen Drinking - Report By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress and state legislatures should raise taxes on alcohol, especially beer, to discourage underage drinking, advisers to the government said on Tuesday. The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council also recommended more careful advertising of alcohol to ensure children do not get bombarded with pro-drinking messages. "More young people drink alcohol than use other drugs or smoke tobacco, and underage drinking costs the nation an estimated $53 billion annually in losses stemming from traffic fatalities, violent crime, and other behaviors that threaten the well-being of America's youth," the Institute, commissioned by Congress to write the report, said in a statement. "Alcohol is much cheaper today, after adjusting for inflation, than it was 30 to 40 years ago," the Institute said. "Higher tax rates should be tied to the Consumer Price Index to keep pace with inflation." It said many studies had shown that raising prices deters underage drinkers. CHANGING THE WAY SOCIETY VIEWS DRINKING The report recommends concerted efforts to change the way society views drinking. "The Motion Picture Association of America, for instance, should consider content about alcohol use when rating films, and assign mature ratings for movies that portray drinking in a favorable light," the Institute said. Congress and the Health and Human Services Department should monitor advertising, movies, television programs, music recordings, and videos that may be seen by teens and children. "We think it is reasonable to expect the industry to do more than it is now doing," Richard Bonnie, a law professor at the University of Virginia who chaired the committee, told a news conference. Mothers Against Drunk Driving praised the report, "Underage drinking is our nation's No. 1 youth drug problem," MADD president Wendy Hamilton said in a statement. She said drinking killed 6.5 times more children and teens than all illicit drugs combined. "Only $71 million of the federal fiscal year 2000 budget was spent on underage drinking prevention. This mere pittance pales in comparison to the $18 billion spent on the war on drugs," she added. ADVERTISING RECOMMENDATIONS The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said it was already moving to tighten its advertising recommendations, saying drinking-related ads should only go into media with a readership or viewership made up of 70 percent adults or more. "This is a significant increase and replaces the previous provision that required a 51 percent adult audience," the group said in a statement. "This is a step in the right direction, but the committee believes that the adult threshold for viewers or listeners should be raised even further," Bonnie said. The Federal Trade Commission issued a separate report on Tuesday saying the alcohol industry had improved its self-regulation on advertising. "The report also found no evidence of targeting underage consumers in the flavored malt beverage market," the FTC said. But the Beer Institute said calls for tax increases were misguided. "Experience has shown that the only clear results from increasing beer excise taxes are higher unemployment and higher prices for responsible adults -- such measures do nothing to lower teen drinking," Jeff Becker, President of Beer Institute, said in a statement.

I wonder when they are gonna tax sex. Then the weekend would be completely ruined.

	11-09-2003 05:42									#2
	Support Apolyton

I don't know what taxing beer would do, considering that the average high school or college party would need approxamately 2 or 3 thirty packs @ 18 bucks a piece. If high school students can't scrape that much together for beer, then they shouldn't be drinking.


Besides, anything endorsed by MADD is suspect. Although they've done a lot to highlight drunk driving, they're a borderline prohibitionist organization, IMHO.

	11-09-2003 05:57									#3
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Has imposing the ultimate tax on drugs - prohibition - resulted in less consumption by minors? Nah, this is just another money grab...

	11-09-2003 06:09									#4
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

Well, it's better than them taxing me, so I'm all for it

	11-09-2003 06:41									#5
	Get a bigger avatar today!

Just wait till they come after your favorite vice. Whatever you like doing just know there is someone waiting to start a moral crusade against it.

	11-09-2003 06:44									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Just wait till they come after your favorite vice. Whatever you like doing just know there is someone waiting to start a moral crusade against it.

There's a moral crusade against posting on internet forums?

Well...actually...don't answer that question

	11-09-2003 06:44									#7
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

Down with alcohol! Up with marijuana!

	11-09-2003 06:46									#8
	Inflate your Upload Space

quote: Originally posted by mrmitchell There's a moral crusade against posting on internet forums? Well...actually...don't answer that question

Wait until the Poly tax comes in the mail

	11-09-2003 06:47									#9
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by St Leo Down with alcohol! Up with marijuana!

I get tested for pot ever so often in my job. Alcohol on the otherhand is free flowing.

	11-09-2003 06:55									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

I'm still lost at the point where the claim was made that "underage" drinking is a problem. It's not a big problem in Europe - yet the legal drinking age is MUCH lower, and alcohol isn't considered "bad" by the general population.

Now, drinking and driving is a problem, as are alcohol-related crimes. These are problems for people of every age. Younger people probably commit more of these types of crimes, but that doesn't mean we should punish those who do NOT commit those crimes. If someone gets drunk and knocks over a 7-11, by all means lock him up. If an 18 year old wants to go out with some friends to a bar, have some drinks, and be driven home by a DD or a cab, then by all means, let him do it - or let his parents make the rules, if he lives with them.

	11-09-2003 07:39									#11
	Lose 30 kilos (of popups)

There is a problem with underage drinking in this country because there is underage drinking. A lot of that problem would go away if drinking weren't seen as some big thing. If the age limit were 18 and not enforced, within a couple generations, I'm sure drinking would be viewed as normal and there'd be fewer problems with it.

	11-09-2003 07:41									#12
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

quote: There is a problem with underage drinking in this country because there is underage drinking.

Right, but I don't think this is actually a true problem. People make it an issue, but it isn't really a problem.

	11-09-2003 07:46									#13
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by David Floyd Right, but I don't think this is actually a true problem. People make it an issue, but it isn't really a problem.

I don't entirely agree with you there. I think the forbidden nature of the alcohol makes people handle it worse than it is.

	11-09-2003 08:41									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

quote: Originally posted by Berzerker Has imposing the ultimate tax on drugs - prohibition - resulted in less consumption by minors? Nah, this is just another money grab...

this does not follow

Jon Miller

	11-09-2003 08:42									#15
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Victor Galis There is a problem with underage drinking in this country because there is underage drinking. A lot of that problem would go away if drinking weren't seen as some big thing. If the age limit were 18 and not enforced, within a couple generations, I'm sure drinking would be viewed as normal and there'd be fewer problems with it.

it is not enfoced currently

Jon Miller

	11-09-2003 08:44									#16
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

I am all for having a higher tax on alcohol

since those who drink in excess do put a higher burden on society than those who don't drink at all

Jon Miller

	11-09-2003 09:28									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

Yea underage drinking! That's right, I am causing you losers over $53 billion annualy, and I don't care!

	11-09-2003 09:49									#18
	Increase Your PM Length

quote: Originally posted by Shi Huangdi Yea underage drinking! That's right, I am causing you losers over $53 billion annualy, and I don't care!

	11-09-2003 10:19									#19
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

well the solution is obviously buying more vodka...

	11-09-2003 11:44									#20
	Support Apolyton

higher taxes doesn't discourage smoking!!

There are more teenage girls smoking today than ever before in history. Even as a percentage of the population the number is much higher.

I'll kill the man that raises taxes on my beer

	11-09-2003 11:47									#21
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Well not like this wasn't unexpected. You have people saying it was right to tax the Hell out of tobacco because of how harmful it is. It's only a hop, skip, & jump from there to alcohol.

	11-09-2003 11:48									#22
	Tired of ads?

yes but alcohol has proven beneficial effects. especially red wine. but even moderate amounts of beer has positive effects.

this is complete bullshit

	11-09-2003 11:49									#23
	Inflate your Upload Space

Who cares about the 'positive' effects? After all tobacco relieves stress . Anyway, the positive effects don't matter. The taxes are obviously because of the 'negative' effects. It ain't hard to go from tobacco to alcohol on the negative effects must be countered BS argument.