Alcohol News: October-December 2003

Friday, December 19, 2003

Diageo to Put Nutrition Labels on Liquor
The New York Times, December 18, 2003
"Diageo, the British liquor company whose brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Smirnoff, said yesterday that it would put nutrition labels on its products to detail how much alcohol and how many calories and carbohydrates are in each bottle.

Executives at Diageo North America said the labels, which will be introduced next year, would also list serving sizes and the amount of other macronutrients, like sugar and fat.

The move comes a day after a coalition of more than 70 consumer groups and experts petitioned the Treasury Department to require that its Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates alcohol labeling and advertising, require nutrition labels on all alcoholic beverages..."
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Schielke slaps 3 businesses for selling booze to minors
Kane County Chronicle, Batavia, IL, December 18, 2003
Three businesses that sold alcohol to minors more than once were fined and had their liquor licenses suspended Thursday.

Mayor Jeff Schielke, who also serves as the city's liquor commissioner, imposed the fines and suspensions as a reminder that multiple violations won't be tolerated.
"What we want is strict and strong compliance with requirements for identification checks in order to prohibit the flow of liquor to minors," Schielke told the license holders during Thursday's hearing.

The hearing stemmed from a Nov. 14 police sting in which nine of 18 restaurants, bars and package liquor stores in the city sold alcohol to minors..."

The toughest penalty was placed on Cafe Cancun, which was cited for a third violation. Schielke fined the restaurant $1,000, and suspended the establishment's liquor license for seven days starting Dec. 24.

Full Moon and Bistro America, which each were cited for a second violation, were fined $1,000 and had their licenses suspended Dec. 24 and 25.

The six other businesses, all first-time offenders, were spared a public hearing and a license suspension and were fined $750. Schielke said the money collected from the fines will be used for drug and alcohol prevention programs in Batavia schools..."
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003

East St. Louis To Limit Alcohol Sales
KSDK TV, St. Louis, MO, December 16, 2003
"The New Year could bring about major changes for those who buy alcohol in East St. Louis. Simply put, you may not be able to buy alcohol anywhere at any time!
At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Carl Officer announced he was not renewing any of the city’s 71 liquor licenses that expire at midnight on December 31.

Broadway Plaza has been selling liquor for more than 20-years. Owner Russell Hudlin, Junior says losing his license would definitely hurt business, because as much as 20% of that business comes from selling alcohol.

Those numbers are much higher at area nightclubs.

Mayor Officer made the decision to not renew licenses after the city council refused to approve $160,000 to hire a team of inspectors to make sure license holders are complying with state laws..."
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Tuesday, December 16, 2003

'Alcohol Facts' Label Proposed for Beer, Wine, and Liquor
PRNewswire, Washington, DC, December 16, 2003
"A proposal for a uniform "Alcohol Facts" label was submitted today by the National Consumers League (NCL), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and others in a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The petition urges the agency to require a new label for alcoholic beverages that would give consumers clear information about alcohol content, serving sizes, calories, and ingredients. The groups argue that "Alcohol Facts" labels will do for alcoholic beverages what Nutrition Facts labels have done for packaged food: provide readable information that would empower consumers to make informed decisions about the products they consume.

Rules governing alcoholic-beverage labeling suffer from jurisdictional gaps between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB, formerly the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms). The FDA can weigh in on alcoholic- beverage labeling in only a small number of cases. And, TTB has no institutional expertise in diet or nutrition. Adding further confusion are TTB's inconsistent standards for beer, wine, and hard liquor, and the abundance of products that increasingly blur those three traditional categories of alcoholic beverages..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/16/2003

NJ State Assembly OKs lowering blood-alcohol limit to .08%
Press of Atlantic City, NJ, Trenton, NJ, December 16, 2003
"The Assembly voted overwhelmingly Monday to lower the state's blood-alcohol content threshold for driving while intoxicated.

The Assembly voted 58-10 with nine abstentions to lower the limit from .1 percent to .08 percent.

The state Senate still must approve the measure. It also needs Gov. James E. McGreevey's signature.

Should it be fully approved, it would ensure the state gets millions of dollars in federal transportation funds.

Approval in the Assembly came despite arguments from bill opponents who charged it further, saying the bill unfairly strengthens New Jersey's drunken-driving laws. The law already provides for what amounts to an unfair, automatic conviction, they said.."
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Is Advertising To Blame For Under Aged Drinking?
KGO-TV 7 News, Oakland, Ca, December 10, 2003
"Some people are calling it an epidemic of underaged-drinking saying alcohol abuse among young people is growing faster than any other drug and they're laying the blame squarely on the alcohol industry and it's advertising...

Studies are showing drinking among young people is on the rise, growing faster than any other drug.

Researchers say the alcohol industry spent nearly $2 billion last year on advertising. Much of it was seen by people too young to drink.

Dr. David Jernigan, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, Georgetown University: "These are family oriented shows. They attracted larger than proportional youth audiences. We've even found ads on the wonderful world of Disney..."

Assembly member Wilma Chan has been trying to get a bill passed to discourage advertising alcohol to minors.

Assm. Wilma Chan, (D) Alameda County: "What my bill would do is it would assess a fee to producers of alcohol only for that proportion of alcohol that's sold to underaged drinkers. In other words, illegal sales, which is estimated to between 10 and 20 percent in California..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/16/2003

Monday, December 15, 2003

Alcohol, cars mix for local retailers
Monroe News Star, Monroe, LA, December 10, 2003
"Purchasing alcohol is almost as convenient as picking up a hamburger at a fast-food restaurant in Monroe these days...

Maj. Robert Biggers of the Monroe Police Department has seen several drive-through liquor stores over the years.

The choice to offer drive-through liquor purchases rests with the businessperson, he said.

Biggers said he hasn't seen any statistics to measure whether such establishments encourage drinking and driving.

There is "obviously a problem" with drive-through liquor stores, said Maj. Royce Toney, chief investigator for the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office...

"The problem with drive-through is that you drive in with a two-ton vehicle, hand money and receive an alcohol beverage prepared for immediate consumption."

He said he believes this encourages consumers to drink and drive. The legal blood alcohol content set by the state Legislature is .08..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/15/2003

Thanks to Cable, Liquor Ads Find a TV Audience
The New York Times, December 15, 2003
"Almost two years ago, an experiment to allow American liquor marketers access to the biggest, most powerful advertising medium of all - national broadcast network television - ended in acrimony. Since then, those advertisers have pieced together an alternative, virtual TV network, enabling them to expose consumers to more pitches for vodka, gin and whiskey than ever before.

Commercials for distilled spirits, once relegated to the fringes of the television landscape, now appear on two dozen national cable networks from AMC to WE, more than 140 local cable systems and 420 local broadcast stations. That patchwork network lets the liquor marketers take advantage of the benefits of selling on television - primarily the ability to reach large numbers of consumers quickly and frequently - even if its most potent form is barred to them...

"At this point, liquor ads have saturated cable," said George A. Hacker, director for the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, who has long fought against such commercials because of fears that they are more visible to children than print ads and glamorize drinking more..."
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The Nicotini
The New York Times, New York, NY, December 14, 2003
"There is nothing as alluring as vice, except possibly the combination of two vices. A Florida club owner may have come up with a cure for smokers' rage over their recent exile from bars: a martini infused with nicotine-rich tobacco. (Sound delicious? How can it not be?) The Nicotini, as it is known, comes in various forms -- among them a Quick Puff (a single shot) and, more enticingly, a Black Lung (mixed with Kahlua). Result: The stimulant and the depressant enter the boxing ring that is your body and battle for dominion -- but then, that's hardly a new sensation for anyone who has ever smoked in a bar..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/15/2003

Friday, December 12, 2003

Senate approves Michael's Law
Bridgeton News, New Jersey, December 12, 2003
"First District Assemblyman Nicholas Asselta announced Thursday that the state Senate unanimously approved a measure he is co-sponsoring that would enhance penalties for repeat drunken drivers.

The bill, dubbed Michael's Law in memory of 19-year-old Vinelander Michael Albano, who was killed in an accident with a repeat drunken driver Dec. 20, 2001, was approved by the Senate 34 to 0..."

The legislation would require mandatory minimum jail sentences of 90 days and $1,000 in fines for third and subsequent driving-while-intoxicated offenses, according to Asselta. Offenders would also be required to participate in 90-day drug or alcohol inpatient rehabilitation programs approved by the court.

Under the bill, drivers with three or more DWIs would lose their drivers licenses for 10 years..."
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New Jersey State Assembly: No. 2386 (Michael's Law) (.pdf)

posted by Shanita | 12/12/2003

Hispanics targeted in new drunken driving campaign
The Holland Sentinel, Washington, DC, December 11, 2003
"For the first time, the government is launching a drunken driving campaign targeting Hispanics, who are at higher risk of death in alcohol-related accidents.

Alcohol-related crashes account for half of all Hispanic traffic deaths, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In the general population, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 41 percent of traffic deaths in 2002.

"States have been clamoring for good-quality Spanish-language materials," agency spokesman Rae Tyson said Wednesday..."
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Thursday, December 11, 2003

Time to ban alcohol advertising
The Journal Standard, Freeport, IL, December 10, 2003
"Mayor Gitz and council members, why don't you do something positive for Freeport and the area? Please pass an ordinance making Freeport one of the first cities in the country to ban all outdoor advertising of alcohol, including such words as pub, lounge, tavern, depot, outlet, and of course, beer, wine, liquor and alcohol. Ban advertising of these products. Change the laws of the sale of these products. No sales on Sunday, not even when dining out. Close drive-up windows and make the job of the Freeport Police easier..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Bay Area Officers Kick Off Massive DUI Campaign
ABC 7 News, California, December 10, 2003
"Bay Area law enforcement officers served nonalcoholic "coptails" to San Francisco restaurant patrons this afternoon, to mark the start of the holiday drunken driving crackdown...

Representatives from a number of Bay Area law enforcement agencies, including San Francisco Police Chief Alex Fagan and Assistant Chief Jerry Tidwell with the California Highway Patrol, met at Momo's restaurant near Pac Bell Park to announce the enormity of this year's DUI campaigns...

The state Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control will also play a part in the enforcement efforts, making sure liquor stores and bars are checking for IDs and making sure intoxicated people can't buy any more liquor. Acting ABC Director Jerry Jolly said businesses can expect to pay a $1,000 fine for serving a minor..."
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California Office of Traffic Safety: Campaigns and Coalitions

Kilpatrick cracks down on alcohol
The Detroit News, Detroit, MI, December 11, 2003
"With the swipe of a brush, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Wednesday painted over the word "liquor" on the wall of an east side party store and gave a symbolic start to the city’s campaign to cut liquor’s public presence.

"What we’re doing here today will ... forever eradicate the proliferation of alcohol and alcoholism" in the city, Kilpatrick said.

The city announced a six-part crackdown on the sale and presence of spirits. Besides asking store owners to paint over liquor signs, the city also plans to:

- Forbid new neighborhood liquor or party stores from opening. Detroit has 338 liquor stores and 379 stores that sell only beer and wine, according to city officials.

- Ask the state Liquor Control Commission, which issues licenses, to make it harder for people to keep inactive licenses and to transfer licenses. The city is 164 licenses over a state quota for party stores based on population, officials said..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Large liquor retailer expands campaign on illegal sales
Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage, AK, December 8, 2003
"One of the state's biggest liquor retailers already has a reputation for being extra aggressive in preventing sales to underage, would-be buyers, and now is expanding its scope.

Brown Jug wants to transform its campaign against underage drinking into an effort that not only stings the wallet but also convinces youths not to drink.

Under the Brown Jug campaign, anyone who goes through a new alcohol awareness program will get a break on a $1,000 civil penalty. The store will seek $300 instead of $1,000.

"We're trying to educate on the responsible approach to the product," said Ed O'Neill, one of Brown Jug Inc.'s owners.

The program isn't free. Participants will have to pay another $290 for the main course, 15 to 16 hours of classroom sessions led by Akeela Inc., a private substance abuse prevention and treatment agency..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/11/2003

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

Alcohol ordinance still on hold after Borough Council meeting
The Daily Princetonian, Princeton, NJ, December 10, 2003
"Despite objections that student binge drinking has worsened this fall, the Borough Council took no action on the controversial alcohol ordinance last night.

Instead, the council heard from student leaders, University administrators and community groups on how to combat a "culture" of drinking on campus and at the eating clubs...

The ordinance would allow police to cite underage drinkers on private property, including the eating clubs.

Representatives of the Princeton Alcohol and Drug Alliance opened the discussion with a call for more education and prevention rather than passage of the ordinance..."

At the council's April 23 meeting, when the ordinance was tabled by a unanimous vote, PADA was charged with reporting on efforts made by the University and student groups to curb dangerous drinking..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/10/2003

Town proposes ban on festival liquor sales
The Natchez Democrat, Vidalia, LA, December 10, 2003
"To applause and a chorus of "amens" from a packed house, the Vidalia Board of Aldermen on Tuesday scrapped a proposed amendment that would give them the power to grant a liquor license to public festivals.

Instead, aldermen prefiled an ordinance to prohibit the sale of alcohol at public festivals such as the annual Jim Bowie Festival. A public hearing on that ordinance will be held at the board's January meeting.

Town attorney Jack McLemore said the board has been discussing the sale of alcohol for some time, particularly after last fall's festival.

"We've had a lot of concern about this ordinance," McLemore said. "I was asked to draft a new ordinance that prohibits the sale of alcohol..."
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Tuesday, December 09, 2003

State (KS) high court weighs liquor laws
The Lawrence Journal-World, Topeka, KS, December 9, 2003
"Cities can make local ordinances that are more strict than state law, but they don't have the right to make them less restrictive, a state attorney told the Kansas Supreme Court on Monday...

The arguments were made as the state appeals a Wyandotte County district judge's ruling that a loophole lets cities decide whether to permit Sunday liquor sales despite a state law that prohibits them.

Since the ruling in May, more than a dozen Kansas cities, including Lawrence, have passed ordinances that allow liquor stores to do business on Sundays..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/09/2003

Alcoholic Zipper shots: Don't sell 'em
The Grand Island Independent, Nebraska, December 9, 2003
"Don't sell 'em" was the initial stance of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission regarding Zipper shots, when it voluntarily banned the alcohol-infused gelatin product. Containing 12 percent alcohol, each single-serving cup is equivalent to two beers. In August, however, the commission inexplicably lifted the statewide ban....

Granted, caring and attentive parents would certainly make sure that their children do not have access to Zipper shots. But no effort is foolproof. One moment of a parent's carelessness or one instance of a child's unexpected discovery of more "Jell-O" in the back of the refrigerator could have dire consequences.

In addition to alerting parents, Project Extra Mile has also notified area law enforcement agencies. Now along with watching for open containers of alcoholic beverages, officers must inspect plastic containers of innocent-looking gelatin which could also result in a citation..."
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CADCA: Educate Your Community about "Zipper Shots"

Battle royal over wine shipped interstate Winemakers want direct Internet sales; distributors say no
San Francisco Chronicle, Wshington, DC, December 8, 2003
"From Napa Valley's verdant vineyards to the starchy K Street offices of Washington lobbyists and lawyers, a battle is playing out that could determine the future growth of California's $7 billion wine industry.

The fight over direct Internet wine sales, pitting winemakers against deep-pocket liquor distributors, has grown into a high-powered struggle led by well-known pillars of the capital's conservative legal establishment. Eventually, it seems, only a U.S. Supreme Court decision will end the wrangling.

Opponents of freer shipments follow a two-pronged strategy. In addition to their constitutional argument, they point to the dangers of underage drinkers using the Internet to get alcohol.

"This issue is about kids, communities and common sense,'' Juanita Duggan...
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posted by Shanita | 12/08/2003

Univ. Delaware campus and Newark sober up
The News Journal, Delaware, December 6, 2003
"Since 1996, the University of Delaware and City of Newark have been in the forefront nationally in addressing high-risk drinking among college students.

Efforts have been supported by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and resulted in a volunteer organization of residents, students, faculty and staff known as the Building Responsibility Coalition. This has grown to more than 130 individuals and has been an important influence on campus and in the community.

The efforts in Newark and on campus have centered on excessive use of alcohol as a public health issue. Solving it is dependent on changing the environment that permits, encourages or sustains the problem..."
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Lobbyist Keeps Louisiana's Alcohol Laws at Bay
Alcohol Policies Project, December 5, 2003
"Eighty-year-old George Brown, executive director of the Beer League of Louisiana, is a big reason why Louisiana's alcohol laws are not as strict as other states, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 1.

Brown has become one of the most effective advocates for the alcohol industry in the nation. For example, he managed to get frozen alcoholic drinks excluded from the state's open-container law for friends in the drive-through daiquiri business. Brown has also been influential in enabling gas stations to sell cans of beer on ice, allowing grocery stores to sell liquor 24-hours a day, and permitting bars to stay open around the clock.

While public opinion has shifted nationally towards tougher regulations on alcohol sales and drinking while driving, Brown has managed to block bills in Louisiana that would have prevented underage drinkers from entering bars, tightened punishment for repeat offenders, and toughened the open-container law.

Even though other states have increased alcohol taxes to address budget deficits, Louisiana's excise taxes on beer haven't been increased since 1948, thanks largely to Brown's advocacy efforts..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/08/2003

Friday, December 05, 2003

Last call to come at 2:30 a.m. in Atlanta
Southern Voice, Atlanta, GA, December 5, 2003
"Bar owners took one on the chin early Tuesday in their fight to keep pouring alcohol until 4 a.m., as the Atlanta City Council approved a 2:30 a.m. last call for every day except Sunday.

The new ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, when businesses that sell alcohol for "on premises consumption" must close by 3 a.m. instead of the current 4 a.m. State law prohibits the sale of alcohol in bars on Sundays; restaurants and other venues can sell alcohol until midnight that day.

But the last call issue may not be dead, as the legislation mandating the earlier closing time was part of a compromise that said alcohol licenses issued, renewed or transferred for 2004 are effective from Jan. 1 to March 31. After that, the City Council could revisit the issue as license holders must apply for another alcohol license that would be valid for the remainder of the calendar year..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/05/2003

Outside Panel to Review Campaign for Alcohol
The New York Times, December 5, 2003
"Another large marketer of alcoholic beverages has agreed to having its advertising reviewed by outsiders as part of efforts to defuse the growing criticism of the industry's sales tactics.

Allied Domecq Spirits North America in Westport, Conn., a unit of Allied Domecq that sells brands like Beefeater gin and Stolichnaya vodka, said yesterday that it had formed an outside review board to help ensure its advertising is responsible and aimed only at consumers of legal drinking age. The panel, made up of three executives, will also examine any complaints against the company in areas like inappropriately targeting under-age drinkers.

In May, the Coors Brewing Company division of the Adolph Coors Company agreed to allow the Council of Better Business Bureaus to resolve complaints about its ads..."
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Thursday, December 04, 2003

Local Law Enforcement Partners With ABC to Combat Binge and Underage Drinking On UC Campuses
Yahoo News, San Luis Obispo, CA, December 4, 2003
The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced today that, along with the University of California (UC), it is partnering with six local law enforcement agencies to address student alcohol abuse. The following local law enforcement agencies are joining in the effort to increase enforcement activities around selected UC campuses...

The State of California will now have active partnerships with both the UC and California State University System (CSU) by the signing of Memoranda of Understanding that commit the resources of the State to work cooperatively to help identify the scope and nature of the problems on individual campuses and focus specific strategies to address the problems in the communities. As the lead agency, ABC has worked with the CSU Chancellor's Office and the UC Office of the President to pursue grant funding opportunities and develop joint programs. The efforts are believed to be the first in the nation to address statewide, multiple institutions of higher education in such a comprehensive, coordinated effort..."
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California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

posted by Shanita | 12/04/2003

Council considers limiting U-District alcohol sales
The Daily, Seattle, WA, December 4, 2003
"The Seattle City Council will hold a public hearing tonight on proposals to restrict alcohol sales in the U-District and other areas.

Possible restrictions include limiting the hours of alcohol sales or prohibiting sales of single cans, bottles and malt beverages - drinks containing high amounts of alcohol.

If the Council passes the proposals, the restricted U-District area will extend from east of Interstate 5 to 15th Avenue Northeast, and from south of Ravenna Boulevard to North Northlake Way.

Neither Greek Row nor the University Park Neighborhood lies within the designated Alcohol Impact Area (AIA).

“These AIAs have been proposed in response to neighborhood concerns,” said Councilwoman Margaret Pageler. “We are very interested in hearing from neighbors and others who feel strongly about this tool...”
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Wednesday, December 03, 2003

City council to amend rule on alcohol use on city property
Muskegon Chronicle, Muskegon, MI, December 2, 2003
"For years, the Grand Haven City Council has given groups the green light to operate beer tents on city-owned property for various festivals, including the popular Winterfest.

As it turns out, that's a legal no-no -- according to city ordinance.
The city council has discovered a flaw in an ordinance that allows "the sale" but not "consumption" of alcohol on city property. The discovery was made Monday during a city council discussion on whether the proposed "Salmon & Song Fest" should include a beer and wine tent at the Municipal Marina parking lot..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/03/2003

Survey finds drug use common among students
Marin Independent-Journal, San Rafael, CA, December 2, 2003
"A recent survey of Marin high school students indicates what many already know - teens can get drugs, alcohol and tobacco easily.

That information - along with observations by law enforcement and school officials that students are using alcohol, marijuana and tobacco as early as in middle school - prompted the Marin County School/Law Enforcement Partnership to step up anti-drug education efforts.

A survey of 588 students from Marin high schools by the Youth Health Advisory Council found that 49 percent of youths surveyed buy drugs. And of the 44 percent who say they can get drugs from friends and family, 86 percent count on their classmates.

Three quarters of the students surveyed said they used alcohol at social events or parties, and 55 percent said they used drugs on such occasions.

The school and law enforcement partnership is boosting efforts to heighten awareness of the problem..."
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Youth Health Advisory Council Survey

Advertising and Price Effects on Adolescent Drinking
National Bureau of Economic Research, December 2, 2003
"Intensive advertising by the alcohol industry has such a strong influence on adolescents that its elimination would lower underage drinking in general and binge drinking in particular, according to a study by Henry Saffer and Dhaval Dave. In Alcohol Advertising and Alcohol Consumption by Adolescents (NBER Working Paper No. 9482), the authors also find that hefty price increases could have a similar effect.

While many public health advocates claim that advertising plays an important role in adolescent drinking, the alcoholic beverage industry has rejected the connection. Companies contend that their advertising is aimed at adults and is intended to influence brand choice, not the decision of whether or not to drink. But neither side has produced much in the way of objective data to either support or refute a link between advertising and underage drinking..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/02/2003

Iowa Passes Keg Registration Ordinance
KTVO TV3, Sigourney, IA, December 1, 2003
"Monday in its regular meeting, the Keokuk County Board of Supervisors passed a county-wide ordinance requiring keg registration, in hopes of holding whoever buys the keg accountable for underage consumption. As of January 7, 2004 anyone who buys a keg of beer will need to supply more than just a valid form of identification saying they're of age. They'll soon have to leave behind their name, address and driver's license number, identifying which keg goes where and with whom..."
Keokuk Co., Iowa Passes Keg Registration Ordinance

City dealing with issues raised by liquor-by-drink passage
The Pulaski Citizen, Pulaski, TN, December 2, 2003
"...The complications of implementing liquor-by-the-drink in Pulaski come mainly from the unexpected effects it has on the city's laws pertaining to beer sales.

In some cases the city's ordinance controlling the sale of beer have more requirements than the state's laws regulating the sale of mixed drinks. These conflicts present the city with discrepancies that could be challenged in court if not changed.

"We want our beer laws to be about the same," Speer said.

One discrepancy between the beer and liquor laws the city will deal with is the time period in which beer and mixed drinks can be sold in the city. Prior to last Thursday's passage of liquor-by-the-drink, the city allowed the sale of beer between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m except Sundays. On Sundays, the city's ordinance allowed for the sale of beer between noon and 2 a.m.

State laws regulating liquor-by-the-drink allow the sale of liquor between 6 a.m. and 3 a.m. all days except Sundays. Having passed what is often referred to as the "Titans Law," the state allows for the sale of liquor-by-the-drink as early as 10 a.m. on Sundays. However, cities have the option to maintain noon as the time to allow the sale of alcohol..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/02/2003

Monday, December 01, 2003

Louisiana Lobbyist Keeps State Laws On Drinking Loose
The Wall Street Journal, Metaririe, LA, December 1, 2003
"Business was brisk at Bayou Daiquiri's drive-through window on a recent Friday night, as cars lined up four deep to buy vodka-laced frozen drinks in 32 flavors. A young woman with two children in the back seat bought a large strawberry margarita in a styrofoam cup, then weaved one-handed back onto the busy highway.

She can thank George Brown, executive director of the Beer League of Louisiana, the industry's powerful trade group. A state law passed three years ago forbids drivers to carry open containers of alcohol, but there's a line buried in the law exempting "any amount of frozen alcoholic beverage" in a cup, as long as a straw isn't stuck through the lid. Mr. Brown doesn't mind taking credit. "We did it for one of our friends" in the daiquiri business, he says.

In Louisiana, cans of beer packed in ice beckon from gas-station bins, grocery stores sell liquor 24 hours a day and many bars never close their doors. Taxes on beer are so low that a 16-ounce Busch "tall boy" sells for as little as 89 cents, less than the same amount of milk or apple juice. Unlike in most other states, bars are explicitly shielded by state law for whatever drunk patrons do once they walk out the door. Louisiana was one of the last states to raise its drinking age to 21, and among the last to set tougher blood-alcohol limits for drunk drivers..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/01/2003

US brewers: walking a fine line
Datamonitor.com, November 28, 2003
"US drinks manufacturers are strongly refuting charges of deliberately marketing their products to underage drinkers. However, every alcoholic drink manufacturer targets young legal drinkers and this may give enough grounds for the case to proceed. In the UK, manufacturers have started to use more sophisticated positioning to avoid this problem.

In the US, the drinks industry is the latest to face a lawsuit on the iniquities of its marketing strategies. In this instance, the charge is that several manufacturers have deliberately targeted underage drinkers.

There are seven companies named in the suit: Coors, Mark Anthony, Bacardi, Kobrand, Heineken [HEIN.AS], Brown-Forman [BFB] and Diageo [DGE.L]. The claim against them alleges a "long-running, sophisticated and deceptive scheme by manufacturers to market alcoholic beverages to children and other underage consumers". The suit further claims that 15-20% of all alcoholic beverages sold in the US are consumed by underage drinkers..."
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New law prompts alcohol elections
Star-Telegram, Watauga, TX, November 28, 2003
"Kim Nguyen says her food store on Rufe Snow Drive has been selling 30 bottles of wine a day since Watauga began allowing off-premises wine sales.

"A lot of people like it because they don't have to go all the way to Fort Worth," said Nguyen, the co-owner of Jamie's Food Store.

Changes in state law have made it easier to call alcohol elections, and several communities in Northeast Tarrant County are considering having votes to make wine, beer and mixed drinks more widely available..."
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posted by Shanita | 12/01/2003

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Lummis debate ban on liquor
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Lummi Nation (Seattle), WA, November 26, 2003
"At the gateway to this reservation, posted on the entrance of the tribal liquor store, the face of a newborn girl with sleepy eyes informed late afternoon customers why the store's doors were locked last weekend.

Along with the photo of 1-month-old Cecilia Rose Julius -- now, two weeks dead -- a notice explained that alcohol sales, "out of respect for the grieving families and friends impacted by alcohol abuse," would cease nine hours earlier than usual each day.

The two-day act of partial prohibition, though a purely symbolic gesture to the infant's family, is the first measure the Lummi tribal leadership has ever enacted to restrict reservation alcohol sales, officials here say.

Now, some tribal members say it's time for something more permanent..."
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posted by Shanita | 11/26/2003

Ohio State bans all alcohol advertisements
The Cincinnati Post, Columbus, OH, November 26, 2003
"Ohio State will prohibit alcohol advertisements on local broadcasts of its games next year as part of an effort that organizers hope would lead to a national ban.

"We can be accused of hypocrisy if we're sending one message at one level and doing something else at another," athletic director Andy Geiger said. Starting next year, Ohio State will not allow alcohol advertising in the local contracts it controls or in any publications.

Ohio State sold advertising rights for $1.4 million this year.

Radio stations broadcast football and men's and women's basketball games. The spring football game is on television.

For now, Ohio State cannot ban advertising on its nationally televised games. The Big Ten bundles and sells advertising rights and has a contract that expires in 2006.

Geiger said he will take the idea on the ban to the other Big Ten schools in February in hopes of getting other schools to go along..."
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Brown-Forman Profit Up 8.8 Percent
Washington Post, Louisville, KY, November 25, 2003
"Brown-Forman Corp.'s profit rose 8.8 percent in the latest quarter, partly due to solid growth from its Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort liquor brands and a weaker U.S. dollar.

The Louisville-based company, which also makes other products such as Lenox china, reported net income of $88.2 million, or $1.45 a share, for the fiscal 2004 second quarter ended Oct. 31. That compares with earnings of $81.1 million, or $1.18 a share, in the same quarter last year..."
See entire article

posted by Shanita | 11/26/2003

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

SPA lobbies for responsible liquor serving
Summit Daily News, Breckenridge, CO, November 23, 2003
"Twenty-five-cent beer specials would go the way of dredge boat mining in Summit County, if the Summit Prevention Alliance has its way. They would be dead.

"Drink specials like that encourage irresponsible drinking. While it might not necessarily be against the law, it does not promote a healthy community," said Beverly Gmerek, the prevention coordinator at the Summit Prevention Alliance.

"We're seeing a huge number of drunken driving arrests in the county, per capita."

In the face of that concern, the SPA is asking elected officials and liquor boards across the county to do more to discourage irresponsible drinking habits..."
See entire article

posted by Shanita | 11/25/2003

New gadget allows alcohol to be inhaled
Ananova.com, November 25, 2003
"The inventor of a gadget that enables people to inhale alcohol through their nose or mouth claim it doesn't cause hangovers.

Dominic Simler, 30, discovered that by mixing spirits with pure oxygen, a cloudy alcohol vapour can be created which can be either snorted or inhaled.

He is marketing it as AWOL, or Alcohol With Out Liquid, and says it can be used to consume any spirit..."
See entire article

ALCOHOL INDUSTRY SUED FOR MARKETING TO CHILDREN
Advertising Age, Washington, DC, November 25, 2003
"In a legal strategy similar to how state attorneys general successfully pursued tobacco companies, a class action lawsuit has been filed to recover "billions of dollars in ill-gotten profits" from alcohol makers that falsely denied their ads targeted underage drinkers.

The suit accuses brewers Coors Brewing Co. and Heineken; distilled spirits makers Mark Anthony Brands (maker of Mike's Hard Lemonade), Bacardi USA, Bacardi Group, Brown-Forman, Diageo and Kobrand (maker of Alize cognac); and the Beer Institute of a "long-running, sophisticated and deceptive scheme ... to market alcoholic beverages to children and other underage consumers."

The suit does not mention either Anheuser-Busch or Miller Brewing Co., the two largest brewers in the world..."
See entire article

posted by Shanita | 11/25/2003

Co-op Store asked to pull alcohol-related merchandise
The Penn Online, Indiana, PA, November 24, 2003
"The Co-op Store Committee doesn't believe the Co-op Store's sales of alcohol-related merchandise promote binge drinking in the IUP community but did not make an official decision because of committee members absent from Friday's meeting.

The university and its Alcohol Coalition Task Force have asked the Co-op to stop selling alcohol-related merchandise because they believe the items promote binge drinking in the IUP community.

"The concern that I have is that there will always be a drinking problem at IUP," said Co-op Store director Pete Alexander. "We need to teach responsible drinking."

The Co-op has taken steps to educate students to drink responsibly, such as placing large stickers around the alcohol-related merchandise encouraging students to drink responsibly..."
See entire article

posted by Shanita | 11/24/2003

Board gives bar owner no sympathy
The Providence Journal, Providence, RI, November, 24, 2003
"The owner of Louie's Tap said he didn't know why teenagers have been caught drinking in his bar -- or how signs advertising drinks for 75 cents, a "beer pong tournament," and a slogan "Be there or be sober" ended up on the bar's walls.

With his city license in jeopardy, Bruce Coppola threw himself on the mercy of the city Board of Licenses on Friday.

He found little sympathy.

No decision was made on the bar's fate Friday. The board has the authority to issue fines, or suspend or revoke the liquor license. An announcement is expected within 10 days of the hearing.

Louie's Tap was brought before the board because of numerous arrests of underage drinkers there this fall -- and a history of problems..."
See entire article (free registration required)

Follow That Keg
The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, November 22, 2003
"Starting today, retailers who sell beer in kegs are required by law to record keg purchasers' identification information, attach registration tags to kegs and collect a $75 deposit for each keg. The law is designed to combat underage drinking.

Retailers who don't comply face suspension or revocation of their beer licenses.

But beer retailers and trade groups say the new law will hurt keg sales and alienate customers.

"You will see a lot of retailers who do a marginal amount of business totally eliminate the package," said Bob Vessa, executive director of the Empire State Beer Distributors Association, a trade group..."
See entire article (free registration required)

posted by Shanita | 11/24/2003

Friday, November 21, 2003

You Need More Than a Message To Reduce Underage Drinking
Psychiatric News, November 21, 2003
"Raising taxes on beer, rating movies and TV shows based on their depiction of drinking alcohol, and enacting new measures to deter adults from buying alcohol for minors are ways the nation can reduce the problems associated with underage drinking, according to a report issued in September by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

The report, titled "Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility," places the societal costs of underage drinking-driving-related injuries and death, violent crime, sexual assault, unwanted pregnancies, and suicide, for example-at $53 billion a year in the United States.

By age 20, according to the report, 70 percent of those who consume alcohol engage in heavy drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks in a row during a two-week period..."
See entire article
See also a summary of the Report: Institute of Medicine "Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility"

posted by Shanita | 11/21/2003

New keg law taps a nerve
Times Union, Albany, NY, November 21, 2003
"Sales of keg beer may soon go flat.

A new law that takes effect Saturday requires a $75 deposit, redeemable only if the keg is returned within 30 days. A detailed registration form is also required, including a tag affixed to the keg noting the buyer's name.

The goal of the new law is to curb underage drinking by making it easier to trace the keg back to the buyer and seller -- and to hold them accountable when the beer lands in the cups and funnels of teenagers.

"We bust those kinds of parties almost every weekend in the summer," said Colonie Police Chief Steven Heider, who supports the law.

But some beer retailers say the new rules could force them to close their taps..."
See entire article
See related article from The Saratogian

Sunday liquor sales passed
Boston Herald, Boston, MA, November 20, 2003
"Massachusetts residents won't have to live near the state line to buy alcohol on Sunday under a plan lawmakers approved last night.

Tucked in a $100 million economic stimulus package - along with tax credits for businesses and a one-day ``sales-tax holiday'' set for Aug. 14 - is a provision allowing year-round, statewide Sunday liquor sales at package and grocery stores.

The move, which upends a long-standing tradition of banning booze sales on the Sabbath, would allow towns to opt out of the idea. Store owners would also have the option.

Package stores along Massachusetts' borders are now allowed to sell booze on Sunday, in an attempt to buffer them from the impact of Sunday liquor sales in other states, such as New Hampshire.

All package stores can sell liquor on Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.."
See entire article

posted by Shanita | 11/20/2003

Coors to roll out low-carbohydrate beer
The Boston Globe, Golden, CO, November 19, 2003
"Coors Brewing Co. said Wednesday it will launch a low-carbohydrate beer brand in 10 states on March 1, in an effort to grab a larger share of the expanding market for beers that appeal to people on low-carb diets.

Coors, the maker of the popular Coors Light brand, plans to launch its Aspen Edge beer nationwide by year's end, helped by television, billboard, radio and print advertisements, the company said.

Aspen Edge will compete with Anheuser-Busch Cos.' Michelob Ultra.

SABMiller PLC is attempting to enter the market as well, by recasting its existing Miller Lite brand as a low-carbohydrate beer..."
See entire article

Wednesday, November 19, 2003

UMd. Wants To Ban Kegs Sales In College Park
TheWBALChannel.com, College Park, MD, November 19, 2003
"An alcohol task force at the University of Maryland wants to put a ban on beer kegs.
Banning the sale of kegs in liquor stores is the latest effort to clamp down on underage drinking on the College Park campus.

At College Inn Liquors, owner Sonny Lasick says banning the sale of kegs won't stop underage drinking. "Take away one thing and they'll get another," said Lasick.

But the university's alcohol task force doesn't see it that way. Their proposal to outlaw kegs is intended to target customers older than 21 who load up on alcohol and then allow minors to drink it..."
See fulltext of article

Legislators Protest Beer Logos on Museum Exhibit
Washington Post, Washington, DC, November 19, 2003
"Just weeks before the opening of the Smithsonian's new aviation museum, 20 House members have asked the Smithsonian to remove beer logos from a historic aerobatics plane.

In a letter sent this week to Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small, the congressmen said the Loudenslager Stephens Akro Laser 200, which won several U.S. aerobatics titles as well as the 1980 World Aerobatic Championship, deserved to be in the museum. However, they said the Bud Light emblems were an advertisement and an inducement to drink -- the wrong signals to send to young visitors..."
See fulltext of article (free registration required)

Fire station drinking scrutinized
CNN.com, Torrington, WY, November 19, 2003
"Some fire chiefs say the alcohol is an important tool for recruitment and builds camaraderie, but policies that allow the consumption of beer and alcohol at fire stations are increasingly under scrutiny.

Wyoming's governor wants to put an end to the drinking after two state firefighters were charged in separate drunk driving incidents, including one that killed a 16-year-old passenger -- who was a volunteer firefighter.

"What is the rationale for having alcohol in a fire hall?" Gov. Dave Freudenthal asked. He has joined state Fire Marshal Jim Narva in asking fire departments to voluntarily dump their alcohol policies before the matter is taken to the state Legislature..."
See fulltext of article

Tuesday, November 18, 2003

Diageo's tax breaks raise some questions
The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, CT, November 18, 2003
"The more than $40 million in tax breaks for Diageo North America, which is moving its headquarters from Stamford to Norwalk, have left some wondering whether the state is investing in job growth or has fallen for a bluff.

State officials have said that Diageo was leaving Stamford for Norwalk or for New York state and the incentives were needed to retain jobs.

Under the agreement, Diageo must increase its work force in Connecticut from 700 to 1,000 and increase the amount of taxes it pays the state to reap the full tax break, which is spread out over a decade.

But state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, questions how likely it was that Diageo would have consolidated operations in Westchester County, N.Y., where the company has some offices now..."
See fulltext of article

Athens (GA) set to take liquor applications
The Decatur Daily, Athens, GA, November 15, 2003
"In five days, applications will be taken for a liquor license in Athens.

On Wednesday, city and state officials will be at City Hall to distribute and accept applications and enroll vendors in the vendor responsibility program.

On Friday, the Athens City Council completed its last step toward liquor sales by approving changes to the zoning and sign ordinances that set requirements for areas where vendors can sell and how they can advertise.

For example, window signs for any business cannot cover more than 10 percent of the total window area. Also, vendors cannot sell alcohol in neighborhoods except for a golf course or country club..."
See fulltext of article

When you say `Budweiser' with a building
Houston Chronicle, Houston, TX, November 15, 2003
"What better place to put up a billboard than a freeway where severe traffic jams are common? That way you make sure drivers get a long chance to absorb your advertising message.

That was the thinking of the leaders of a local Budweiser beer distributor when they selected a location on the traffic-bloated Katy Freeway for its new building.

Silver Eagle Distributors, the local distributor of Anheuser-Busch beer, will build a warehouse and office building adjacent to Interstate 10, east of Loop 610. It's the major freeway connecting the downtown to the suburban communities of Katy, Memorial and all points west...

The site is highly visible. That means the beer signs on the building will be equivalent to having a big billboard on one of the world's busiest freeways, said Jeff Peden, a broker with Cushman & Wakefield.

"I don't know if there is better location for brand exposure of our signage. That was the idea from the onset," said Bob Boblitt, chief operating officer of Silver Eagle.

With the heavy traffic on that freeway, passers-by will have a better chance to see the Budweiser ads than they would if they were speeding by at 70 mph, Boblitt said.

"We wanted to find primarily a site with good access to major highways, as close to the center of the city as we could," Boblitt said..."
See fulltext of article

College students chug big mugs
Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI, November 15, 2003
"College students drink much more alcohol than they realize, a new study suggests, raising questions about the validity of widely cited surveys on campus drinking.

The reason: Students tend to pour much more than standard servings of alcohol into cups, says the study, published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

The study focused on 106 Duke University undergraduates, all of whom poured into empty cups of different sizes the amount of fluid they considered to be one serving of beer, one shot of liquor or the alcohol in one mixed drink.

Students in every case markedly overestimated the amount of alcohol for a standard drink, as defined by the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Studies Program -- a 12-ounce beer or 1 1/4 ounces of liquor in a shot or mixed drink.

The Duke students exceeded those standards -- by 80 percent for mixed drinks, 26 percent for shots and 25 percent for beer..."
See fulltext of article

posted by Shanita | 11/18/2003

SPA lobbies for responsible liquor serving
Summit Daily News, Breckenridge, CO, November 11, 2003
"Twenty-five-cent beer specials would go the way of dredge boat mining in Summit County, if the Summit Prevention Alliance has its way.

They would be dead.

"Drink specials like that encourage irresponsible drinking. While it might not necessarily be against the law, it does not promote a healthy community," said Beverly Gmerek, the prevention coordinator at the Summit Prevention Alliance.

"We're seeing a huge number of drunken driving arrests in the county, per capita."

In the face of that concern, the SPA is asking elected officials and liquor boards across the county to do more to discourage irresponsible drinking habits...

In addition to possibly saving lives, the county could save money if it didn't have to deal with so much drunken driving enforcement, drunken assaults, graffiti or other such problems incurred by intoxicated people, she added.

Sending all bartenders and servers to classes is one way to assure establishments don't sell too much alcohol to individuals..."
See fulltext of article

Ex-Coaches Call for a Ban on Beer Ads
Adweek, November 12, 2003
"Two former college coaches and an advocacy group are calling for a ban on beer ads during college sports broadcasts.

Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith and Tom Osborne, former head coach of the University of Nebraska football team who is now a Republican Congressman from Nebraska, joined the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Science in the Public Interest on Wednesday in asking universities to stop accepting money from alcohol advertisers.

According to a poll from the advocacy group, seven in 10 Americans think beer companies that advertise on college sports know their messages appeal to underage drinkers..."
See fulltext of article

Liquor sellers may have to tag kegs
Richmond Register, Richmond, KY, November 12, 2003
"Richmond retail liquor sellers may soon be required to tag every beer keg going out their doors after the first reading of an ordinance requiring such tagging was approved at Tuesday's Richmond City Commission meeting.

David Grandgeorge, a representative of the city's community partnership on the issue and the vice-president of the Kentucky Agency of Substance Abuse local board, told the commission he thinks the ordinance will be beneficial.

"Underage drinking has been a significant problem in our community," Grandgeorge told the commission. "Beer keg tracking might be something to consider."

Grandgeorge said statistics show younger people drink a great deal from kegs, and if police arrive at keg parties where underage drinkers are present, partygoers scatter and no one takes responsibility for the keg. Tagging kegs would require someone to be responsible for that keg, which could be traced back to them through the store where the purchase was made..."
See fulltext of article

Are new congressional efforts to curb underage drinking on the right track?
Insight on the News, October 20, 2003
Illegal underage drinking is a national health crisis, and Congress must enact a national strategy to fight it effectively.

"My prior work for alcohol and drug programs has made me acutely aware of the terrible effects alcohol dependence has on individuals, families and particularly children. For that reason, I have had a longstanding interest in addressing underage drinking. In spite of the fact that drinking under the age of 21 is illegal in all 50 states, more than 10 million kids in the United States consume alcohol illegally. In the last two weeks, the average high-school senior has had five drinks. Just kids being kids?

Perhaps many think so. But the truth is underage drinking is causing enormous harm to our children and to American society at an estimated cost of $53 billion a year..."
See fulltext of article

Tagging law causes decrease in keg sales, increase in sales of cases of beer
The Purdue Exponent, West Lafayette, IN, November 11, 2003
"It has been more than a month since the keg-tagging laws have been in effect and one thing is for sure: There has been a large increase in the sales of cases of beer. This challenges one of the main reasons the law went into effect in the first place, to curb underage drinking.

According to the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission's Web site, the keg-tagging law went into effect Sept. 27 and requires all kegs to be tagged with identifying information about the purchaser. Tags are composed on two separate labels, one that stays at the purchase location and another that is placed on the keg. Purchasers must provide information such as their date of birth, name, address, phone number and type of identification. All tags are individually numbered and registered through the local office of the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission..."
See fulltext of article

Lodi planners to review liquor licenses, flashing signs
Lodi News-Sentinel, Lodi, CA, November 10, 2003
"Lodi planners are set to consider Wednesday the abundance of liquor outlets in Lodi and the question of whether the city should allow flashing signs.
For its population, Lodi has more than twice the number of off-sale liquor licenses than is recommended by the state Alcoholic Beverage Control board.
An ABC district administrator and a license supervisor will speak to the commission about the state's guidelines and will answer questions from the commissioners, said Konradt Bartlam, Lodi's community development director.
A suggestion that the city impose a "three strikes" rule -- where liquor stores with too many police calls could be cited or have their use permits revoked -- has been floated at meetings of the Lodi Chamber of Commerce..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/10/2003

It's time to protect teens by targeting alcohol ads
The Mercury News, San Jose, Ca, November 10, 2003
"The Marlboro Man and Joe Camel are gone from the airwaves, but the Coors twins and the Labatt bear have become fixtures on TV, hawking another product that is lethal and illegal in the hands of teens.

A new study out of Georgetown University found that a substantial amount of beer ads on TV and in magazines reach an underage audience, despite industry standards that prohibit marketing to kids. It also found that the industry's ``drink responsibly'' commercials are more likely to be seen by parents than by the teens they are supposed to reach.

And it found that drinking is too often promoted in films aimed at teens. Last weekend's top grossing film was ``Scary Movie 3'' which features the sexy Coors twins. The movie is rated PG-13.

For years, the alcohol industry has policed itself, banning ads that feature young-looking models or explicit sex. But the Georgetown study shows it's time for independent oversight..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/10/2003

Talk of booze overflows in dry town
The Biloxi Sun Herald, Minden, LA, November 10, 2003
"For a dry town, signs of alcohol are everywhere.

Residents see it on yard signs and in television and newspaper advertisements. They get unsolicited phone calls, and people show up at their front doors to talk about alcohol.

Voters in this north Louisiana town, the seat of rural Webster Parish, will vote Saturday on whether local restaurants should be allowed to sell alcohol. Minden, population 13,000, is awash in the alcohol question.

"We've got a lot of people who are working very hard. We are pleased with the numbers of people who are helping," said Graydon Kitchens Jr., a retired judge who chairs the Minden Family Forum, a group opposing the proposition..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/10/2003

COORS UNDER FIRE FOR PG-13 MOVIE TIE-INS
Advertising Age, November 4, 2003
"Adolph Coors Co. is under fire from a youth anti-alcohol group for its involvement in a Halloween movie the group said directly targets teens. Just a month after alcohol marketers agreed to advertise only in media that reached an audience consisting of at least 70% adults, the Marin Institute has accused Coors of defying those guidelines by promoting its tie-in with Miramax's Scary Movie 3. What's scary to Marin executives about the film, produced by Miramax sub-label Destination Films, is its PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. The PG-13 rating states, "Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/07/2003

Police chief: It may be time to charge vendors for alcohol abuse
The Deming Headlight, New Mexico, November 7, 2003
"A bit exasperated with his officers warning and later arresting the same homeless man several times within a week, Deming's Chief of Police says it may be time for others to help cover costs. Chief Michael Carillo noted Wednesday morning that a Tuesday arrest of a 54-year-old homeless man marked the third time within a week the individual had been warned about trespassing, later arrested for trespassing and required a 12-hour detoxification hold for his own protection. Arrested Sunday and released Tuesday, the man was in custody again Tuesday night. Carillo said the man was so inebriated on the last arrest he could not stand, that he had in his pocket a sales slip from a local vendor and perhaps it was time vendors be billed for cost of such cases if there were proof of a sale to someone who was drunk. It is against the law to sell alcohol to someone who is inebriated..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/07/2003

City Says Strong 'No' To 'Convenience' Liquor Sales
The Journal & Topics Newspaper, Des Plaines, IL, November 5, 2003
"A proposal to permit the sale of packaged liquor in a convenience-type store near Mannheim Road and Prospect Avenue, was turned down by aldermen Monday night. The owners of the store were seeking city permission to sell carry-out liquor at 1924 Mannheim Rd. They were the latest in a number of small convenience stores that have sought city permission to sell carry-out beer and wine. About a year ago, aldermen departed from their long standing ban against allowing such sales by permitting the owners of a new store at Oakton Street and Wolf Road to sell the merchandise. Last week in an exclusive page 1 story in the Journal, it was reported that the owner of a nearby day care center was opposing the liquor license contending that it is too close to her business where more than 80 children are cared for on a daily basis. Two aldermen, Tom Becker (6th) and Dick Sayad (4th), cited information they recently received from Police Chief Jim Prandini about crime in the area as reason why they oppose the proposal..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 11/07/2003

Friday, October 31, 2003

Coors' movie tie scary indeed
The State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL, October 31, 2003
"...While this may be sound advice, it's not exactly breaking news. So we turn our focus from the traditional Halloween urban legend warnings to something we find far more sinister: The co-opting of a children's fun day by the beer industry. Specifically, Coors Brewing Co.'s irresponsible decision to cross-market its alcoholic product with what is clearly a teen-targeted movie released for the Halloween horror movie season.

COORS OFFICIALS say there's nothing wrong with its sponsorship of "Scary Movie 3," which opened a week ago and obviously will be a popular attraction with Halloween falling on a Friday this year. After all, they say, about 70 percent of the audience for the first two "Scary Movie" movies was over 21, the legal drinking age. But the third installment of this spoof on scary movies is rated PG-13 - and that, as all parents know, means it's made for high school kids.

Coors has been hawking this movie as part of its fleshy, wild party ad campaign, interspersing funny clips from the movie with shots of 20-somethings drinking Coors and "the twins" vamping in bikinis..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/31/2003

Diverse College Campuses Yield Lower Binge Drinking Rates
Harvard School of Public Health, Ocotber 31, 2003
"Drinking rates among higher-risk drinkers on American college campuses-those who are white, male and underage-are significantly lower on college campuses with larger proportions of minority, female and older students. Researchers with the Harvard School of Public Health College Alcohol Study (CAS) reported these findings in a study appearing in the November 2003 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study is the first to examine the role of college student demographics and diversity in moderating binge drinking among high-risk students.

Most significantly, however, the findings show that greater diversity on campuses may serve as a risk-protective factor, even for those who were binge drinkers in high school. The study found that incoming white freshmen who did not binge drink in high school were less likely to start binge drinking as college students, if their universities had higher proportions of African American, Latino, Asian or older students. And, incoming white freshmen who were binge drinking in high school were less likely to continue drinking in this way when attending schools with higher percentages of minority or older students..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/31/2003

County considers alcohol fee
Anderson Independent-Mail, Anderson, SC October 30, 2003
"Selling alcohol in Hart County could soon be more expensive. County commissioners meeting Tuesday night reviewed a new fee structure that would increase regulatory fees currently charged to restaurants, stores and distributors. They took no vote but asked county officials for more information about the costs of regulating alcohol sales.

According to the county's code of ordinances, restaurants and private clubs (which sell beer and wine for on-site consumption) are charged $1,200; stores (selling for off-site consumption) are charged $500; and distributors aren't charged anything.

Commissioners discussed raising those fees to $1,600 for on-site consumption, $800 for off-site and up to $2,500 for distributors..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita 10/31/2003

Wednesday, October 29, 2003

Critics do double take at Coors twins' film role
Rocky Mountain News, October 29, 2003
"Golden-based Coors Brewing Co. takes a strong public stand against advertising to underage drinkers, but some say Coors' latest film venture sends a different message. On its Web site, Coors says it works to ensure that "advertising and marketing materials are directed to audiences with a majority of people of legal drinking age."

Yet Coors Light beer and its blonde, identical twin pitch women appear in the PG-13 rated Scary Movie 3, last weekend's top grossing film at $49.7 million. A PG-13 rating - which cautions parents that some material may not be suitable for preteens but doesn't restrict anyone from seeing it - came as a surprise to Coors, spokeswoman Hilary Martin said.

The California-based Marin Institute, a nonprofit aimed at reducing alcohol-related problems through prevention, is urging consumers to write to Coors Chief Executive Peter Coors..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/29/2003

Underage Drinking Concern in Oakland
KRON 4 News, October 29, 2003
"State Assembly Majority Leader Wilma Chan, D-Oakland, held a public hearing Tuesday on what she described as "the emerging health crisis of underage drinking."

Chan said she believes the beer and distilled spirits industries are fueling the crisis with ads targeting underage drinkers and using images that are highly attractive to young people.

Chan said alcohol is the most widely used drug among American children and youth, citing research showing that one in five eighth graders has been drunk. That's particularly dangerous, Chan said, because children who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who wait until the age of 21..."
See fulltext of article
Related Page: Public hearing tackles teen drinking

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/29/2003

Locations of ABC stores under fire
Collegiate Times, October 29, 2003
"The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control is taking steps to relocate two of its stores after complaints from a church and a high school. George Mason High School in Falls Church and Walnut Grove Presbyterian Church in Bristol voiced disapproval about the location of ABC stores located within sight of the disgruntled parties.

Whitney Miller, public relations specialist for the Virginia ABC Department's central office in Richmond, said ABC board members are feverishly negotiating alternative locations for the ABC stores under scrutiny.

"The board has decided to explore a more in-depth policy concerning its store locations," she said. "This is a priority..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita 10/29/2003

Tuesday, October 28, 2003

Assemblymember Wilma Chan cordially invites you to attend a hearing of the Select Committee on California Children's School Readiness and Health...
View the invitation

Monday, October 27, 2003

Hundreds of Youth Killed Every Year Due to Underage Drinking Health Crisis-- Public Hearing in Oakland on Tuesday
Assembly Majority Leader Wilma Chan, Press Release, October 27, 2003
WHAT: Public Hearing: "Children Under the Influence: Alcohol Advertising and Reducing Underage Alcohol Use" to be held by the Select Committee on California Children's School Readiness and Health, Hon. Wilma Chan, Chairwoman.
WHEN: Tuesday, October 28th 10:30AM-12:30PM
WHERE: Elihu M. Harris State Building 1515 Clay St. in Oakland.The hearing is open to the public and close to bus and BART.
WHO: Presenters and topics include:

• Marissa Lopez, Youth Organizer, Sacramento - The problem andits consequences: A youth's perspective
• Dr. David Jernigan, Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth -The role of the alcohol industry in the problem: A researcher's findings
• Paula Birdsong, Executive Director, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, California - The problem and its consequences for families: Parents' perspective
• Deputy Chief Michael Holland, Oakland Police Department -The perspective from law enforcement
• Joel Grube, Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation - The problem and potential solutions: Findings of the Institute of Medicine report
• Reverend Harvey N. Chinn, Executive Director, California Council on Alcohol Problems - The problem and its consequences: A faith perspective
• David Mohammed, the Mentoring Center - Solutions in practice: A local perspective
• Everest Robillard, District Administrator, California Alcohol Beverage Control - Solutions in practice: A state perspective
• Quyen-Thi Nguyen, Youth Organizer - The importance of youth in developing a solution.

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/27/2003

Virginia to alter policy on placing liquor stores
DailyPress.com, October 27, 2003
"Virginia will consider the proximity of schools, churches and other establishments when deciding where to locate its state-run liquor stores and will seek input from the community, officials said. Previously, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage and Control only had to consider market factors--such as household income in a particular area and the profit potential of an outlet _ before opening an ABC store.

ABC Chairman Vernon M. Danielson told The Washington Post the department is changing its policy after residents of Falls Church and Bristol protested placing liquor stores near a high school and a church. Danielson said his department will try to move both stores once suitable alternate sites are found..."
See fulltext of article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/27/2003

Beer kegs tapped
Shawnee News Star, October 25, 2003
"Beer sold in metal barrels, or kegs, is the focus of a new Oklahoma keg registration law that becomes effective Nov. 1.

House Bill 1014 is aimed at curbing problems with underage drinking by making those who purchase kegs and provide beer to minors responsible. Authorities will track kegs back to purchasers through a registration system.

The law requires licensed sellers of low-point beer kegs to place numbered seals on a keg each time it's sold, then match the buyer's name, address, signature and driver's license number with the keg's unique registration ID number. Retailers are required to keep all records for at least one year. The system allows police to track a keg -- first to a retailer, then to its buyer -- making both retailers and buyers more accountable..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita 10/27/2003

State's colleges step up alcohol abuse warnings
Contra Costa Times, October 26, 2003
"The four UC Davis students who recently drank so much they were taken to the hospital for alcohol poisoning may not have known how to handle their liquor, but it's a safe bet they knew what they were doing was wrong. Alcohol awareness programs in Davis and on college campuses throughout the land have increased efforts the past few years to harness student drinking mishaps and occasional tragedies. Warnings, advice, surveys and statistics, students get them all on alcohol abuse.

And yet, it remains unclear to many campus officials whether the innovative programs are making a dent. With fall college sessions in full swing, all too many students arrived on campus eager to hit the bottle when they are not hitting the books..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/27/2003

Friday, October 24, 2003

Coors and its 'twins' promote kids movie
San Diego Union-Tribune, October 24, 2003
"Coors Brewing Co. officials say there's nothing wrong with its sponsorship of "Scary Movie 3," which opens in theaters today. After all, they say, about 70 percent of the audience for the first two "Scary Movie" movies was over 21, the legal drinking age. But the third installment of this spoof on scary movies is rated PG-13 ³ and that, as all parents know, means it's made for high school kids.

Coors has been hawking this movie as part of its fleshy, wild party ad campaign, interspersing funny clips from the movie with shots of 20-somethings drinking Coors and "the twins" vamping in bikinis. Who are the twins? Ask your teenage son..."
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Related Link: The Marin Institute's Scary Beer Ads Campaign at: www.CoorsTwins.com

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/24/2003

U.S. Wine Consumption Projected to Increase 5 Percent in 2003
Wine Spectator Online, October 24, 2003
"Total wine consumption in the United States increased 6 percent in 2002 to 245 million 9-liter cases, and is expected to grow by another 5 percent this year, according to The U.S. Wine Market: Impact Databank Review and Forecast, 2003 Edition. The exclusive research indicates that the wine market will continue to expand to more than 300 million cases by 2010..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/24/2003

As cases move through courts, conservatives debate alcohol shipment laws
Newsday.com, October 24, 2003
"Laws barring direct shipments of alcohol into Michigan and 23 other states were the subject of a debate between high-profile conservatives Wednesday, with supporters saying the laws combat teen drinking and opponents saying they're outdated and discriminatory.

The debate is one that's been mirrored in the courts. A federal appeals court upheld Indiana's direct shipping law, but judges have recently ruled against direct shipment laws in North Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Cases are pending in Michigan, New York, Ohio and New Jersey, and both sides believe the U.S. Supreme Court could take up the issue in the next few years..."
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Headlines | posted by | 10/24/2003

Low-Carb Beer - The Next New Category
ProBrewer.com, October 24, 2003
"Anheuser-Busch's newest beer wasn't targeting your typical beer drinker in its advertisements, which featured healthy-looking trim young folks working out. Michelob Ultra's national launch of low-carb beer, now a year old, addressed a new market consisting of people on the popular Atkins-style low-carbohydrate diets who still want to enjoy a glass or two of beer. The beer found its niche, and then some: A-B's second-quarter earnings were up 7.9%, and Michelob Ultra figured prominently in the results..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/24/2003

Anheuser-Busch Earnings Rise 7 Percent
Akron Beacon Journal, October 23, 2003
"Anheuser-Busch Cos. earnings rose 7 percent in the third quarter on strong growth from all of its business segments, the world's largest brewer said Wednesday.

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, Bud Light and other beers, earned $664 million, or 80 cents per share, in the quarter ending Sept. 30, up from $622 million, or 71 cents per share, in the same quarter a year ago.

The results matched the expectations of analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call. Sales rose 4.5 percent to $4.47 billion from $4.27 billion..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/24/2003

Family settles with Hooters in death suit
Billings Gazette, October 23, 2003
"OCALA, Fla. - The family of a 20-year-old who was killed when he wandered onto Interstate 75 after a night of drinking at the Ocala Hooters settled a lawsuit against the restaurant Thursday for $1 million, the family's attorney said.

Daniel Loux, a resident of Truckee, Calif., came to Ocala in early November 2001 for a firefighters' seminar. After getting drunk at the Ocala Hooters on Nov. 5, 2001, he wandered onto I-75, where he died after being struck by a semi-tractor.

Loux's parents, Gary and Linda Loux, filed the lawsuit against the local Hooters franchise, Hooters of America, the company that owned the truck that killed their son, the company that operated the truck, and the truck driver..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/24/2003

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Spillage in alcohol advertising
The Oregonian, October 22, 2003
"The insidious art of "product placement" reaches new levels of sophistication, if you can call it that, with the casting of the Coors twins in "Scary Movie 3," opening Friday.
The movie is rated PG-13. Although the fine print ("Parents strongly cautioned") might give some parents pause, few read the fine print. Most will interpret this rating to mean that the movie is fine for 14 and older.

Coors says the audience for the two previous "Scary" shows was overwhelmingly older than 21, and there's no reason to think this "Scary" will be any different. But we think this partnership between Coors and Miramax -- and their co-promotion of the movie -- raises all kinds of questions for anyone concerned about underage drinking..."
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Related Link: The Marin Institute's Scary Beer Ads Campaign at: www.CoorsTwins.com

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/22/2003

Court hears how cleaning alcohol was sold as liquor
Cape Times, October 22, 2003
"For five months, liquor outlets throughout the country sold to the public poisonous industrial cleaning alcohol disguised as cheap brandy, cane spirits, vodka and other liquor.

This was alleged in the Bellville Regional Court yesterday at the resumed trial of Johan van der Heever and Dan Padowitz on eight charges involving fraud and contraventions of the Liquor Products Act and the Customs and Excise Act.

The alleged offences happened between August and December, 1998, when Van der Heever was part-owner of the Bellville and Bothasig branches of Jumbo Liquors, and Padowitz a director of Bebida Distillers..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/22/2003

New Mexico St. to decide whether to sell alcohol on campus
The El Paso Times, October 22, 2003
"Erin McSherry finds herself in the middle of two conflicting ideals at the New Mexico State University campus -- one that considers socializing and drinking part of the college experience and another that recognizes the dangers alcohol poses to students.
But that conflict is not discouraging McSherry, 23, a senior and president of the Student Association at NMSU, from pushing a new policy that would allow beer and wine to be sold at the student union..."
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Headlines | posted by | 10/22/2003

Speaker says alcohol addiction causes family chaos
The Press of Atlantic City, October 21, 2003
"That "elephant" in the house can cause total chaos in the family, Frank Hudson told students at Cumberland County College on Monday, the start of Alcohol Awareness Week activities.

That elephant is alcohol addiction, which affects not only the addict, but every member of the household, said Hudson, a certified drug and alcohol counselor for the state, a licensed clinical social worker and an adjunct professor at the college with three masters' degrees.

Hudson, 59, is also a recovering alcoholic, one of seven children whose mother died of alcoholism. When Hudson spoke about co-dependency, enablers and the roles that different children of alcoholics play, he spoke not only from personal experience, but from the many cases he has seen in his private practice, Hudson Associates in Vineland..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/22/2003

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

Survey: Students cut binge drinking a little
The Des Moines Register, October 20, 2003
"A reduction in binge drinking among Iowa high school students is reflected in a new state health survey - but teen alcohol abuse rates remain dangerously high, experts say.

Last year, 36 percent of Iowa's 11th-graders reported binge drinking at least once during the previous month, according to the 2002 Iowa Youth Survey. That was down from three years earlier, when 40 percent reported binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks of alcohol within a couple of hours..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/21/2003

COLUMN: Binge drinking needs more limits on campus
Iowa State Daily, October 21, 2003
"...Educational campaigns and programs to deter excessive drinking -- and Iowa State does have one -- are not effective. According to the study, athletes reported a significantly higher level of exposure to alcohol education, but the exposure did not decrease their drinking. In fact, the bigger drinkers tended to be people who reported seeing more anti-drinking education messages. Researchers believe it will take a more multi-faceted approach to control the drinking, including pressure from coaches, trainers, team physicians and administrators, because students already know what's wrong with drinking too much..."
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Related Page: Harvard Study Documents Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/21/2003

Editorial: Caution: Calling all parents of K-6 students
Billings Gazzette, October 20, 2003
"Before they start middle school, some kids have already started to drink and smoke. The onset of other drug use as well as sexual activity is occurring at younger and younger ages.

That's why a coalition of Billings Public Schools, the Yellowstone City-County Health Department, Billings police, Youth Court and a local doctor invited elementary-school parents to learn about risky behavior and how to prevent it..."
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Headlines | posted by | 10/21/2003

Bed Rails or Dry Campus? What Should Colleges do to Prevent Falls in Dorms Due to Student Drinking?
WABC-TV, October 14, 2003
"(Buffalo, NY) ¤ At one local university where bunk beds are popular in dorm rooms, they're now installing guard rails so students asleep on the upper bunks don't fall out of bed. The impetus behind the move: Student drinking. Here's education reporter Celeste Ford..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/21/2003

A new whisky producer looks to target the younger drinker
Datamonitor.com, October 20, 2003
" A new whisky company hopes that its irreverent attitude, crystal clear labeling and fun approach to the drink will win over younger consumers. While it is vital to remove the barriers to young adults choosing whisky, the company also has to provide a positive reason to choose whisky over alcopops or lagers..."
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Related Page: Smirnoff pulls 'Mouse' ad

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/21/2003

Friday, October 17, 2003

N.J. lawmakers want warnings on kid-friendly alcohol drinks
The Express Times, New Jersey, October 17, 2003
"Responding to what some deem child-friendly advertising, New Jersey lawmakers in the state Assembly are pushing ahead with legislation aimed at requiring stricter warning labels on alcoholic beverages.

The Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee will hold hearings on the bill later this fall which would require stricter warning labels on alcohol gelatin shots packaged in a manner similar to gelatin and pudding snacks marketed for kids.

But the Ohio-based company marketing the "Zippers" shots, which were blocked from the market temporarily in Nebraska, has already changed the packaging due to the controversy. The new package features more warning labels, company officials said. According to a picture on the company's Web site, the new packaging is vertical rather than horizontal..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/17/2003

Action on alcohol abuse urged
BBC News, October 17, 2003
"Under-age drinking is also a growing problem, according to the British Medical Association (BMA) in Wales, which is calling for a public awareness drive to highlight the dangers.

Dr Richard Lewis, secretary of BMA Cymru Wales, said alcohol was also associated with other problems, including casual unprotected sex, crime, and disorder.

"Alcohol is the most commonly misused drug in Wales," he said.

Dr Lewis said the association was concerned about the marketing of alcopops - sweet-tasting drinks laced with a high alcohol content and very popular with young people..."
Full article

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/17/2003

Miller Voluntarilly Recalls 12-packs of Sharp's Non-alcohol Brew
Safetyalerts.com, October 10, 2003
"As a precaution, Miller Brewing Company is issuing a voluntary product recall for 12-ounce cans of Sharp's non-alcohol brew sold in 12-packs in the Illinois counties of Bureau, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, LaSalle, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, Putnam, Woodford and far northwest Cook. Minnesota counties potentially affected include Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison and Todd. The recall covers no more than 850 12-packs of Sharp's non-alcohol brew in 12-ounce cans distributed after August 15, 2003.

Only product with the coding of 12083 A11988 on the bottom of the can may be affected. Because of a filling error, some of these Sharp's containers may contain alcohol. Miller, in cooperation with its distributors, is taking aggressive steps to retrieve the affected product from the market..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/17/2003

Alcohol Industry Influences College Drinking Program
JOIN Together Online, October 16, 2003
"Florida State University's (FSU's) efforts to curb college drinking reveals the lengths to which the alcohol industry will go to enforce its own philosophy regarding prevention, the Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 14.

At FSU, three students have died from alcohol-related causes since 1999. This year, a Harvard School of Public Health survey found that 57 percent of FSU undergraduates said they drink solely "to get drunk." The survey also found that 53 percent of FSU students binge drink.

In addition, FSU was named the nation's top "party school" by the popular college guide, the Princeton Review, for the second time in four years..."
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Related Page: Harvard Study Documents Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/17/2003

Doctors warn of teen binge-drinking danger
North Wales Daily Post, October 17, 2003
"TEENAGE bingeing on high alcohol designer drinks in Wales is fuelling casual unprotected sex, crime and disorder, doctors warn today.

A report by the British Medical Association will highlight medical concern that high-strength drinks are being targeted at the teenage market.

One in three men and one in seven women exceed recommended drinking levels and the problems are greater among the young, according to the BMA..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/17/2003

Thursday, October 16, 2003

New Committee Will Examine Alcohol Abuse
Crimson News, October 16, 2003
"With more and more Harvard students hospitalized for severe alcohol abuse, University officials have launched an initiative to look into new ways to curtail irresponsible drinking, from adjusting social attitudes to expanding treatment options.
Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross '71 will announce today a committee charged with investigating how administrators, students and University health officials can prevent and reduce binge drinking.

According to Gross, the committee will not seek to clamp down on student parties or tighten regulations, but will instead address what he perceives to be the social problem of alcohol abuse at Harvard.

Gross' announcement comes after 24 undergraduates were treated by University Health Services (UHS) for alcohol poisoning this September-a substantial increase from the 15 admits for alcohol-related illnesses last September..."
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Related Page: Harvard Study Documents Low-Priced, High Volume Sales of Alcohol Available to College Students Nationwide

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Colorado lawmakers decline to lower DUI limit
Denver Post, October 16, 2003
"Despite the looming penalty of losing millions of dollars in federal highway funds, several state lawmakers balked Wednesday at lowering the blood-alcohol threshold for the offense of driving under the influence.

The Transportation Legislation Review Committee, which gave tentative approval to several other transportation-related bills, declined to support lowering the blood-alcohol threshold from 0.10 to 0.08, as mandated by the federal government.
"I resent the federal government telling Colorado how to conduct its business," Rep. Bill Sinclair, R-El Paso.

If Colorado doesn't comply with the federal law, which most states already follow, it will lose $50 million in federal highway funds by Oct. 1, 2006, and continue to lose an additional $20 million a year, Herman Stockinger told the committee..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Beer Advertising and Your Kids
Health Central, October 15, 2003
"Dr. Dean's Comments: This seems like a penetrating look into the obvious. If you need to be convinced that beer advertising enters your children's consciousness than this research adds more evidence.

Addiction Volume 98 Issue 9 Page 1297 - September 2003 RESEARCH REPORT Predictors of beer advertising awareness among eighth graders Rebecca L. Collins, Terry Schell, Phyllis L. Ellickson & Daniel McCaffrey

ABSTRACT: Aims To identify correlates of beer advertising awareness among adolescents at an age when most initiate use of alcohol.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of an in-school survey about alcohol advertising. Structural equation modeling was used to test for independent predictors of a latent beer advertising awareness construct, separately among boys and girls..."
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Related Page: Ad Alert

Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Police support proposal by some in Mission Bay, CA
The San Diego Union-Tribune, October 16, 2003
"Dissatisfied with the limited effectiveness of a July Fourth ban on kegs of beer at city beaches, some Mission Bay residents are pushing for a ban on all alcohol at beaches on Independence Day.

While opponents already are voicing objections, the idea has received strong support from San Diego police.

"Temporary bans on alcohol are doable and reasonable," said Capt. Larry Moratto of the Northern Division, which patrols Mission Bay, Mission Beach and Pacific Beach..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Illegal Distillery Is Found in Fairfax, VA
Washington Post, October 16, 2003
"The contraption was crudely fashioned: an aluminum lobster pot, a couple of C-clamps, some plastic tubing and a bucket adorned with a label from Home Depot. Nevertheless, the device's purpose was pretty clear to the Fairfax County homeowner who last week found it hidden in a shed on his densely wooded property.

Law enforcement officers soon confirmed the unlikely find: Someone was making moonshine in the heart of Northern Virginia.

Illicit liquor has a long and illustrious history in some parts of the country, including spots as close to the Washington area as the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. But stumbling upon an illegal distilling operation -- no matter how small -- within sight of Fair Oaks Mall was enough to make officials do a double take..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Drink specials again on council agenda
Iowa State Daily, October 16, 2003
"A penny for your thoughts, a nickel for your troubles and a quarter for your beer -- or maybe not.

The Ames City Council, after hammering a broad proposal into an ordinance banning only unlimited drink specials last March, may again be confronted with the question of quarter drinks and penny pitchers at bars.

George Belitsos, member of the Story County Prevention Policy Board, asked candidates for the city council if they would support expanding the drink special ban to restrict penny pitchers and quarter drinks at a forum Monday.

Belitsos said the board is working to "de-glamorize" drinking and end binge drinking entirely..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Firms nabbed in alcohol sting
Melrose Park Herald, October 16, 2003
"Five Stone Park businesses were caught selling alcohol to minors -- three of them for the second time in two years.

As part of a cooperative effort with the Illinois State Police, the Stone Park Police Department aimed its sights at bars, restaurants and convenience stores that sell alcohol.

Five of the eight tested on Sept. 27 sold alcohol to minors who did not have identification..."
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Headlines | posted by Shanita | 10/16/2003

Wednesday, October 15, 2003

MGM Grand fined $225,000 for serving free alcohol
The Detroit News, October 15, 2003
"MGM Grand Detroit Casino was fined $225,000 Tuesday night for serving free alcohol to high rollers during charity parties, the second-biggest penalty ever levied against a local gambling hall by state regulators.

Unlike casinos in many other jurisdictions, Detroit casinos aren't allowed to serve free alcohol to gamblers, partly to curb alcohol abuse but also to lessen the impact of Detroit's 4-year-old industry on established bars and restaurants..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Alcohol industry limiting underage exposure to ads
The Daily Northwerstern, October 15, 2003
"Beer, wine and liquor makers are limiting underage exposure to their ads, a trend encouraged by congressional reports on alcohol marketing released recently...

...Allison Sands, the founder and president of Northwestern's Nightcrawlers, said alcohol ads have an effect on NU students, and the campus advocacy group is necessary to promote responsible drinking behavior.

"Alcohol advertising teaches underage people that you have to drink to have a sense of social belonging, or that it enhances your social experience," said Sands, a Weinberg senior. "It strips alcohol of any of its destructive properties..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Adolescent binge drinking produces tolerance to alcohol
EureakAlert, October 14, 2003
"Many young people have their first experience with alcohol between 12 and 17 years of age.

"Binge" drinking, consumption of five or more drinks on one occasion, is of particular concern.

Researchers have found that a binge pattern of alcohol consumption among adolescent rodents can significantly hamper normal growth and alter brain function..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Jose Cuervo taking a shot at Spanish
The Dallas Morning News, October 15, 2003
"It might seem obvious to pitch tequila in Spanish in the United States. This is, after all, the world's fifth-largest Spanish-speaking country.

But Jose Cuervo, the premier maker of this elixir of agave, has run English-only advertising campaigns here. Until now.

Jose Cuervo will launch its first Spanish-language advertising campaign for the liquor with the assistance of Dallas-based advertising agency Dieste Harmel & Partners. Cuervo is the largest tequila producer in Mexico and exports more than 50 million liters annually from its plants in the state of Jalisco..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Students high on dry dorms
The State News, October 15, 2003
"One item on the University Housing contract is quite small, really - easily overlooked by some students, answered without a thought by others but important to hundreds who desire to live in a certain environment - an environment without alcohol.

The alcohol-free housing option provides a place on campus where alcohol is not allowed, by anyone, for any reason.

"I chose to live here, because I don't drink and I don't want to be around a bunch of people who do," said general business freshman Jennifer Bradley, a Rather Hall resident. "I met a lot of people on my floor who think the same as me.

"It's nice to have people who you can hang out with without the pressure to go out and party and drink..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Doctor of Medical Sciences, head physician of the Russian-American Recovery medical center in Moscow, Elena Sokolchik, talks about the beer drinking fashion among women..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Don't Serve Drunks says ALAC
Scoop News, October 15, 2003
"The liquor industry has been jolted this week into addressing the issue of selling alcohol to minors, says the Alcohol Advisory Council.

ALAC Acting Chief Executive Paula Snowden now wants the same spotlight put on premises serving drunks..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Binge Drinking 'Is 58% of Men's Nights Out'
The Scotsman, October 14, 2003
"Binge drinking sessions account for more than half of Irish men's nights out, new research showed today.

The proportion of nights which turned into heavy drinking sessions was higher in the Republic than in any other European country surveyed.

This type of consumption accounted for 58% of Irish men's drinking, compared with 40% in the United Kingdom and 9% in France..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/15/2003

Tuesday, October 14, 2003

Alcohol ban on trains planned to cut hooliganism
The Independent UK , October 14, 2003
"A train operator wants to ban alcohol from its services to reduce hooliganism.

Merseytravel says half the "antisocial" incidents on its trains involve alcohol. The operator, which runs services in the Merseyside area, is applying for a change in local laws to give police the power to confiscate bottles and cans containing alcohol. Officers will also be able to arrest anyone caught drinking..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/14/2003

Cedar Falls to step up enforcement of alcohol laws
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, October 14, 2003
"Instead of banning drink specials, the City Council is vowing to more vigorously enforce existing alcohol laws.

The city has been looking to cut down on underage and excessive drinking in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

It had looked into passing an ordinance similar to Iowa City's, which outlawed a number of drink specials. Among those were all-you-can-drink offers and two-for-ones..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/14/2003

Only one North Carolina Township Close To Securing Alcohol Vote
The Daily Record , October 11, 2003
"Only one of the five Harnett County townships submitting petitions for a vote on alcohol sales looks likely to have garnered enough signatures to secure a referendum.

Each petitioner has 90 days to gather the signatures of 25 percent of the registered voters of their township, the proportion necessary to call for a vote on beer and wine sales under a state amendment passed in June. Only Barbecue, where 1,053 signatures are needed, is close, with 1,007 certified signatures submitted so far ."
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posted by Shanita | 10/14/2003

Wyoming Fire Halls Cling to Alcohol for Recruitment, Despite DUI Cases
KGWN-TV, October 14, 2003
"Two incidents this year in Wyoming have brewed a debate over whether firehouse bars should be shut down...

...Governor Freudenthal and state Fire Marshal Jim Narva have asked fire departments to voluntarily dump their alcohol.

But some local fire chiefs say liquor is an important tool for recruitment and builds firehouse camaraderie..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/14/2003

Monday, October 13, 2003

Alcohol consumption linked to colorectal cancer
EurekaAlert.org, October 13, 2003
"Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY) researchers report that people who drink at least 9 glasses of alcoholic beverages made with distilled spirits per week for more than 10 years are much more likely than nondrinkers to develop colorectal cancer or premalignant polyps. They also note a protective effect for those who drink wine. The results, which will be presented at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, confirm the results of other studies.

Nearly 2,000 asymptomatic patients participated in the study. All had a screening colonoscopy, which uses a long, thin scope to examine the entire length of the colon. Cancer or suspicious polyps were found in the left colon of 6.1 percent of the nondrinkers and of 17.4 percent of those who drank at least 9 glasses per week of spirits for more than 10 years..."
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Related article: Alcohol consumption related to breast cancer

posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Lobbyist's Role on Tax Panel Criticized
The Santa Fe New Mexican, October 12, 2003
"A liquor lobbyist who was hired as a staff member for the state Blue Ribbon Tax Commission was out of line when he spoke publicly against a proposed hike in taxes on alcoholic beverages, says a lobbyist pushing the higher booze tax.

Fred O'Cheskey, who was hired in May to help the Blue Ribbon Tax Commission, told an Albuquerque newspaper this week that liquor is already taxed enough and that higher taxes on alcoholic beverages won't necessarily curb underage drinking and drunken driving as intended.

"It appears to taint the process of the tax commission when a contract staff person is a registered lobbyist for the liquor industry and when that lobbyist begins to publicly oppose a liquor tax before the committee has even had its final hearing," said Linda Siegle.

Siegle lobbies for the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Both are part of the Alcohol Issues Consortium, a state coalition trying to convince the Legislature to raise taxes on booze..."
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Headlines

Youth drinkers become adult drinkers, European study confirms
BeverageDaily.com, October 11, 2003
"Starting young is the key to life-long alcohol consumption, according to the findings of a recent report by market research group Mintel. The survey of drinking habits in five key European markets shows that Britain and France have the highest proportion of drinkers, primarily because the culture in those countries is to start drinking at an early age..."
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Related page: Coors targets Youth

posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Blue laws: A relic that refuses to die
The Berkshire Eagle, October 13, 2003
"State lawmakers in Massachusetts last week revived a debate that has its roots in the fourth century when they defeated a a bill that would scrap one of the last "blue laws" in Massachusetts and allow stores to sell beer and liquor on Sundays.

As legislators scramble to find new revenue sources to help balance next year's budget, House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran and other legislative leaders have considered lifting the ban as a way to boost sales tax revenue.

But by a 21-vote margin, the House on Wednesday voted to keep a law that was put on the books by the Puritans who initially settled New England and who at the time viewed Sunday as a day of rest and worship..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

North Carolina aims to stem tide of underage drinking
The News & Observer, October 13, 2003
"The state Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) is revamping its attack on underage drinking with a plan that may extend anti drinking programs into the middle schools and require all sellers and servers of alcoholic beverages to pass a certification test. Last week, ALE won a nearly $300,000 grant from the Governor's Crime Commission to develop the programs, which also include training sellers and servers of alcoholic beverages. The commission's money comes from the federal government, and ALE will match it with about $100,000 in funds seized from drug dealers.

ALE Director Mike Robertson and Deputy Director Bill Chandler said statistics show that more youths are drinking at an earlier age. A 2001 survey in the Journal of School Health found that 47 percent of middle school students said they had their first drink at 9 years old or younger, and nearly one in five had drunk alcohol in the previous 30 days..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Liquor Stores, Bars in Indiana Using Scanners To Test For Fake IDs
The New London Day, October 2003
"Chris Ludy has heard it all. He's the "ID Nazi," the "ID police" - names yelled at him by Indiana University students who've tried, unsuccessfully, to use fake IDs at the liquor store he manages a few blocks off campus.

He and his staff at Big Red Liquors use black lights to help them examine holograms on any number of state licenses that come through their doors. They check campus directories to see if students' addresses match those given on the licenses. And they grill people whose birth dates look doctored - often keeping the IDs they suspect are fake.

"I'll ask them what their astrological sign is, just to see how they react," Ludy says.
Now his store and several others near college campuses in Indiana have added one more tool to foil potential underage drinkers: They're using scanners that read the bar codes and electronic strips on the back of most states' driver's licenses.

The devices are gaining popularity with liquor retailers, police officers and bar owners nationwide as fake IDs get ever-more sophisticated and difficult to spot..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Something Cheap in the State of Denmark: Liquor
The New York Times, October 13, 2003
"Traveling by ferry from Sweden, Bjorn did not bring so much as a bag. But he did not forget his large yellow mover's dolly. He needed it for the return trip, to cart his newly purchased beer back home.

"Alcohol is much less expensive in Denmark," explained Bjorn, 37, who did not want to give his last name and who was pushing the heavily laden dolly as he boarded the ferry for the 20-minute return trip to Sweden. His trip to Elsinore had been brief - basically, he went to the liquor store - and familiar: he makes it every few months, when supplies run low.

Every year, millions of Swedes travel to Denmark and bring back 20 percent of all the alcohol consumed in Sweden each year. Their reputation in towns like Elsinore, which is known as much for its multitude of liquor stores as for the castle where Shakespeare set "Hamlet," is of weekend bingers, people who drink themselves into insensibility..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Outrage over cheap grog sales down under
The Advertiser (Australia), October 13, 2003
"A VICTORIAN bottleshop chain has been criticised for selling alcohol for about the same price as chewing gum - making it affordable and attractive for children.

Community Alcohol Action Network (CAAN) said Premix King was encouraging underage drinking and exploiting teenagers by selling premixed vodka cans for $1 at its seven regional shops.

"This is putting alcohol within reach of every kid in the state with pocket money," CAAN director Geoff Munro said today. "This makes it as cheap as chewing gum, and I don't think that's what we want for our society..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

BOOZE BID AT UK SCHOOL IS BEATEN BY PARENTS
Sundaymail.com, October 13, 2003
"ANGRY parents have won their battle to stop an offlicence opening in their school playground.

Javed Iqbal had applied to council chiefs for an alcohol licence at his new shop within the school boundary.

But parents at Murrayfield Primary and Nursery in Blackburn, West Lothian, mounted a campaign to stop the application being granted.

Last night, they said they were delighted by the licensing board's decision to turn it down.

Linda Graham, 32, whose three-year-old daughter attends the nursery, said: ``I didn't want my child to see the effects of alcohol at her age. It would have put her at serious risk.''

The mini-market is being built within the school's main boundary fence on the site of the old nursery school, which was demolished last year. Only a fence separates the shop from the playground..."
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Related page: Diageo pulls 'mouse' ad

posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Wal-Mart still seeks license for alcohol
The Journal Star, October 11, 2003
"MACOMB, IL - The City Council's vote to deny Wal-Mart a liquor license for its Macomb Supercenter has been appealed to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission.

A week ago, Wal-Mart attorneys faxed Mayor Mick Wisslead a copy of the appeal. Wal-Mart alleges the council was acting beyond its power and unfairly discriminated against the store in an effort to limit competition for existing license holders.

Wal-Mart also argues that the liquor ordinance is vague and that Wisslead, as the city's liquor commissioner, has too much "subjective discretion."

A spokeswoman for the state liquor commission said Thursday the Wal-Mart hearing will be on the Oct. 29 or Nov. 19 docket. She said she could not comment further because the appeal is still "in process..."
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Related page: California Alcohol Control Board issues licenses for 2004

posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

LIQUOR BOARD RECOMMENDS EARLIER ALCOHOL SALES
The Southern Illinoisan, October 13, 2003
"The city's liquor commission will have a positive recommendation from the liquor advisory board to work with when its members vote on whether to revise the current liquor code and allow earlier sales of alcohol throughout the city by two hours.

All but one member of the advisory board voted Friday at a special session in favor of making the recommendation, which was recommended by commissioner Lance Jack at an earlier meeting.

Most of the board members said they spoke with citizens in the community and got reactions about the possible change..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Beer bottles' health warning
BBC News, October 9, 2003
"From next month, Cains Brewery will carry the message on its 2008 Celebration Ale to discourage excessive and binge drinking.

The label on the bottles will read: "Alcohol advice: Robert Cain supports responsible drinking. Excessive drinking can cause harm. Observe the daily guidelines for sensible drinking. Do not drink and drive."

The company will also have a picture showing how many units of alcohol the bottle contains.

Brewery boss Sudarghara Dusanj said: "There's mounting pressure to tackle the issue of binge drinking in the UK..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Underage alcohol survey shows improvement
The Missoulian, October 11, 2003
"Last spring, bartenders in three out of five Missoula, Montana bars sold alcohol to young-looking 21-year-olds without carding them in Missoula's first alcohol purchase survey.

Last week, another survey got quite different results: a full 76 percent of 38 bars that were tested carded the would-be purchasers.

"It's really exciting because MUSAP's focus is to reduce access," she said. "That's proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the (underage) use of alcohol."
In the surveys, MUSAP volunteers, young-looking University of Montana students who recently turned 21, go into a tavern and ask to be served. If the server or bartender or clerk asks for identification, the volunteers say they don't have it with them and leave...

...The alcohol purchase survey is modeled on the state tobacco compliance checks, but it does not use minors and does not carry the weight of law. MUSAP, a collaboration of many groups, including law enforcement, is not publicly naming establishments that fail until they fail a third survey..."
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posted by Shanita | 10/13/2003

Peer Program lessens student drinking
The Charlotte Observer, October 10, 2003
"Students drank less alcohol after learning that two-thirds of their peers typically didn't have any booze on a given party night, researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill found.

Their study, released Wednesday, hasn't been peer-reviewed or submitted to an academic journal for publication.

But Richard Yoast, director of an American Medical Association program trying to reduce heavy drinking at nine universities, said the data looks promising.

"It really does give us more detail, far more accurate information, on student drinking behaviors," Yoast said..."
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Miller leads beer companies in spending on lobbying
The Miami Hearld, October 10, 2003
"Miller Brewing Co. has spent nearly $2 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies, the most of any beer company, since Philip Morris sold the brewer last year, reports reviewed by The Associated Press show..."
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Underage alcohol survey shows improvement
The Missoulian (Montana), October 10, 2003
"Last spring, bartenders in three out of five Missoula bars sold alcohol to young-looking 21-year-olds without carding them in Missoula's first alcohol purchase survey.

Last week, another survey got quite different results: a full 76 percent of 38 bars that were tested carded the would-be purchasers.

"We're hoping that this is a trend," said Jorie Frakie, who has overseen the Missoula Underage Substance Abuse Team surveys as coordinator of its parent organization, the Missoula Forum for Children and Youth.

"It's really exciting because MUSAP's focus is to reduce access," she said. "That's proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce the (underage) use of alcohol."

In the surveys, MUSAP volunteers, young-looking University of Montana students who recently turned 21, go into a tavern and ask to be served. If the server or bartender or clerk asks for identification, the volunteers say they don't have it with them and leave..."
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Archie, Model of Sobriety, Fights Teenage Drinking
The New York Times, October 10, 2003
"To save Westchester County teenagers from a world gone complicated, Westchester County officials have enlisted the services of four timeless teenagers they say are perfect for the job: Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead.

The gang from Pop's malt shop will be the stars in a media campaign aimed at preventing a sack of teenage problems, from underage drinking to bullying to the overscheduled child, said County Executive Andrew J. Spano.

The campaign, due to start this month, is modeled on antismoking initiatives and will star the six-decade-old comic book characters. The toothy teenagers from the fictional town of Riverdale will be pasted on county buses, on the county Web site, on cable television and in the schools, via 50,000 issue-oriented comic books titled "Archie and His Friends in Westchester." In a twist, the four will be seen in action on the streets and homes of Westchester, from Playland to the County Center, trying to navigate common problems faced by local youths..."
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Family sues NFL in drunk driving crash that left girl paralyzed
Yahoo Sports, October 10, 2003
"The parents of a girl paralyzed in an accident caused by a drunken football fan sued the NFL, contending the league should be held responsible for the girl's injuries.

The lawsuit says the league promotes the kind of behavior that led the fan to drink 14 beers at a New York Giants game in 1999 and then drive home.

Ronald and Fazila Verni of Cliffside Park initially filed their suit in 2001, but it was refiled Thursday to include the NFL and commissioner Paul Tagliabue as defendants.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit and declined comment. The Giants referred inquiries to their lawyer, who did not immediately return a call Friday..."
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Group wants names of DUI offenders published by media
AZCentral.com, October 10, 2003
"A coalition of law enforcement and traffic safety advocates wants the Arizona Legislature to pass a law requiring drunken drivers to pay to have their names published in the local newspaper.

The group plans to push for the law during the next regular legislative session, which begins in January.

Some lawmakers said they welcome any proposal that helps encourage people to think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking too much..."
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State (LA) to use federal law against fake IDs
The Advocate News, October 10, 2003
"People who make fake Louisiana licenses or IDs can now face strict penalties under federal copyright laws.

Several state and local agencies were successful recently in copyrighting an image on the newer version of state IDs and licenses, making penalties for manufacturing fake IDs stiffer...

... Louisiana is the first state to use copyright laws to fight fake IDs, Hodges said. John Welborn Jr., former assistant director of the city-parish Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, was behind the effort to copyright the symbol to reduce children's access to alcohol..."
Full text of artcile

Thursday, October 09, 2003

2 towns in Alaska reject alcohol changes
Anchorage Daily News, October 9, 2003
"Voters in two Northwest Alaska communities rejected changes in local alcohol laws Tuesday, keeping Selawik dry and nixing a distribution site in Kotzebue.

Selawik, a village of 800, voted down 95-124 a proposal to allow the possession and sale of alcohol. Questioned and absentee ballots were not expected to change the outcome, city administrator Roger Clark said.

"Ten years ago (the proposal) didn't come close. This time it stirred up a lot of interest" among voters 18 to 25, he said. Like many Western Alaska villages, Selawik has a young population, with nearly half its residents younger than 21, Clark said.

Despite the high turnout, the alcohol question didn't spawn much election day discussion, Clark said. The village government had held several forums to discuss the issue in previous weeks, which may have affected the outcome, he added..."
Fulltext of article

posted by Shanita | 10/9/2003

Will 'keg tags' rule out the barrel for teen drinkers?
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 8, 2003
"Count Alphonso Newsuan among those who think that affixing identification numbers to beer kegs, making it easier to track down the persons who bought them, is a swell idea.

Newsuan, a 13-year-old from Monessen, PA, visited the Capitol in Harrisburg yesterday along with classmates and more than 500 students from across the state to lobby for a law requiring the so-called "keg tags," which would curb underage drinking, proponents hope.

"I hate to see young people drinking," the eighth-grader explained. A friend of his, he said, was drunk when he ran onto a street and into the path of an oncoming car. His leg and pelvis were shattered, Newsuan said, because of beer.

Though likely to be unpopular with college fraternities, a keg-tagging law would require every keg sold in Pennsylvania to bear some kind of ID number. It would be engraved, written in invisible ink or attached with an identification sticker..."
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Liquor sales bill rejected in Massachusetts House
Boston Globe, October 9, 2003
"The House yesterday preserved the Commonwealth's prohibition of Sunday alcohol sales in stores, with huge assistance from some lawmakers whose districts have already lifted the Sunday liquor ban. Rather than rolling back the law statewide, the measure would have allowed cities and towns to issue permits to stores that wanted to sell beer, wine, and liquor on Sundays.

The House rejected the proposal 87 to 64, but is expected to take up the measure again next week, in part because the lead sponsor, state Representative Daniel E. Bosley of North Adams, was ill and missed yesterday's debate. But several lawmakers said the 23-vote margin will be difficult to overcome.

In 1990, the Legislature relaxed the alcohol rules to allow Sunday sales between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day and in cities and towns within 10 miles of New Hampshire and Vermont, which permit Sunday sales..."
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Court strikes down mandatory blood tests for DUI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 9, 2003
"The Georgia Supreme Court today declared unconstitutional a provision of the state DUI law that requires drivers involved in serious accidents to take blood tests.

The "implied consent" statute allows police to ask a driver involved in a serious accident to take a blood test, even when there is no indication the driver was intoxicated or impaired. A refusal to take the test results in a suspension of driver's license and can be used against the driver in court.

...The court's ruling does not affect another aspect of the DUI implied consent law, which requires drivers to submit to blood tests when an officer finds evidence a driver was intoxicated or impaired..."
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Anheuser-Busch shifts support from Missouri Gov. to likely Democratic challenger
MSNBC.com/St. Louis, MO, October 9, 2003
In Missouri politics, it is roughly the equivalent of getting run over by the Budweiser Clydesdales: Gov. Bob Holden has lost the support of Anheuser-Busch, one of the state's wealthiest and most influential political voices.

Holden, a Democrat, said top executives at the St. Louis-based beer company wanted him to sign a bill allowing the carrying of concealed guns. Holden vetoed the bill, and lawmakers overrode his decision and enacted the measure themselves..."
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Wednesday, October 08, 2003

Oceanside, CA bans alcohol in two more city parks
The San Diego Union Tribune, October 3, 2003
"The City Council has prohibited the drinking of alcohol in two more parks and will consider banning drinking in all 38 municipal parks.

At the request of police, the council voted unanimously Wednesday night to forbid alcohol, without a special permit, in John Landes and Cesar Chavez parks. The action brings the number of parks where booze is banned to nine.

A council majority said it also wanted the staff to explore prohibiting alcohol use in every park..."
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Alcohol key ingredient in student riots
The Knoxville News Sentinel, October 7, 2003
"Nice weather, hours of beer drinking, a big athletic event and a growing crowd of restless young men. To experts, it's a recipe for a riot, whether it be at Minnesota State University last weekend or Ohio State University last year.

Rioting has become such a concern on college campuses that last month 10 universities sent representatives to New Hampshire to discuss how to prevent riots...

...Alcohol, and emotions linked to big athletic events, seem to be key causes of riots, said Daniel Wann, a professor of psychology at Murray State University in Kentucky.

"Homecoming means alcohol," said Wann. "If you got rid of alcohol, that would sure be a good step..."
Fulltext of article
Related page: Harvard study documents low-priced, high volume sales of alcohol available to college students nationwide

Agents Crack Down on Underage Drinking
The East Carolinan, October 7, 2003
"Underage drinkers beware in North Carolina; there are stiff penalties for getting caught with alcohol. In partnership with local businesses and the ECU police department, the Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) has a no tolerance policy for minors who buy or consume alcohol...

...The ALE also performs what are referred to as cops-n-shops. In this program, agents pose as clerks who catch minors trying to buy alcohol. They then radio a description of the offender to officers outside. The officers then deal with the suspects. Prior to each operation taking place, the media is notified. The ALE says the publicity of the operation acts as a deterrent to those who might consider purchasing alcohol..."
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Sunday sales of liquor eyed in Boston
The Boston Globe, October 8, 2003
"The Mass. State House today plans to consider whether to scrap the state's longstanding prohibition against Sunday sales of beer and liquor in stores, as lawmakers search for new tax revenues and try to protect merchants from out-of-state competitors.

The measure under consideration today would allow cities and towns to issue permits to stores that want to sell beer and liquor on Sundays, rather than rolling back the prohibition statewide. The House Ways and Means Committee approved the bill yesterday, but the prospects for final passage are uncertain: House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran and Governor Mitt Romney said they haven't taken a position..."
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Tuesday, October 07, 2003

Court revives ban on Sunday alcohol in Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 7, 2003
"It is once again illegal for bars and strip clubs to sell liquor by the drink on Sundays in Fulton County.

In a unanimous ruling issued Monday, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld a law that restricts Sunday alcohol sales. Under Georgia law, restaurants, sports arenas and other establishments can have an operating bar on Sundays only if more than half their weekly revenue comes from something other than liquor..."
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Miller leads beer companies in spending on lobbying
The Janesville Gazette, October 6, 2003
"Miller Brewing Co. has spent nearly $2 million lobbying Congress and federal agencies, the most of any beer company, since Philip Morris sold the brewer last year, reports reviewed by The Associated Press show.

During those 12 months, Miller spent $1.84 million, compared with $1.49 million by St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch and $360,000 by Golden, Colo.-based Coors Brewing Co. Nationally, Anheuser-Busch is first in sales, followed by Miller and then Coors..."
Fulltext of article

Binge drinking grows
The Washington Times, October 7, 2003
"Binge drinking, a perennial problem on American college campuses, is a growing concern in other parts of the world as well, especially Europe.
Last month, the British Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published a report that binge drinking is a growing problem, especially among young people in the United Kingdom.

Defining binge drinking as consuming the equivalent of four pints of beer by a man or three pints by a woman, the Interim Analytical Report for the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy said 40 percent of men's drinking sessions and 22 percent of women's can be termed binge drinking.

The Strategy Unit also linked bingeing to up to 22,000 premature deaths each year, roughly 60 per day, and estimated the cost to the country at $33 billion a year.

Five days before the British report, students at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., learned of the death of a senior who authorities say had been drinking for more than 12 hours before he died.

According to Henry Wechsler - a Harvard researcher who last year published "Dying to Drink: Confronting Binge Drinking on College Campuses" - two of every five students at U.S. colleges regularly indulge in binge drinking..."
Fulltext of article

Monday, October 06, 2003

Athens, AL, approves liquor ordinance
The Decatur Daily News, October 4, 2003
"Athens has a liquor ordinance that includes concessions to those who opposed alcohol sales, but it still will allow alcohol sales near some churches and schools.

On Friday, the Athens City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that requires a minimum of 500 feet between an alcohol merchant and a church or school or organizations like a Boys and Girls Club and Head Start.

However, the ordinance does allow exceptions. A grocery store does not have to meet the 500-foot requirement. Also, the central business district does not have to meet those requirements. The downtown area is the central business district and could not have had any alcohol merchants without the exception because of churches in the area..."

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Illinois H.S. mulls ban alcohol sponsorships
The Journal Star (Peoria, IL). October 4, 2003
"Imagine the Hole In the Wall saloon sponsoring Pekin High School baseball, Broadway Liquors bringing you Pekin volleyball, or, to a lesser extent, the Notables choir sponsored by Kroger.

If it were up to some members of the Pekin Community High School District 303 Board, sponsorships and advertisements from any business or organization with a city liquor license would be banned from school property..."

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Frosh alcohol policy heavily enforced
The Stanford Daily, October 3, 2003
"A campus-wide crackdown on drinking at Standford University has made its alcohol policy a subject of contention once again, as an addition to the policy preventing freshman dormitories from serving alcohol at house events has come into effect.

Events in the past few weeks suggest that while the changes to the policy itself are relatively minor, Residential Education's vigilance in enforcing the policy has increased.
"The alcohol policy is exactly the same as it was last year," said Jane Camarillo, director of Res Ed. "The addition of the application to that policy is that all-frosh houses are not allowed to serve alcohol at their events and was put into effect this academic year."
See fulltext of article
Related page: Harvard study documents low-priced, high volume sales of alcohol available to college students nationwide

Expansion of EAP Services May Lessen Focus on Alcohol Problems in Workplace
Join Together Online, October 3, 2003
While more than 80 million Americans now have access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), little current scientific research exists to determine how well these employer-paid benefits are serving workers with alcohol problems, according to a new educational primer released today (September 26) by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems (ESAP)..."
See fulltext of article
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems Web site

Sippin' `whisky' flowing again at Dickel distillery
The Mercury News, October 5, 2003
"Whisky is flowing again at the George Dickel distillery, which shut down four years ago when an attempt to compete with Jack Daniel's failed miserably and left the company with a glut of spirits.

Now that the 126-year-old Dickel brand is getting a new life, it won't try to compete again with its powerhouse cousin down the road.

This time the Dickel distillery, tucked away in Cascade Hollow near this southern Tennessee town, will rely on its popularity with the gun-and-rod set while it cautiously tries to expand its appeal.

British beverage giant Diageo is behind the resumption of production. Earlier this month, the first barrel since 1999 was filled..."
Full Article

posted by Shanita | 10/6/2003

Montana judges question new underage drinking law
The Missoulian News, October 6, 2003
"The legality of a tough, new state law that holds parents accountable for youths arrested with alcohol is in question because of a barrage of concerns judges from around the state have raised with the attorney general's office.

The controversial law, which was passed by the 2003 Legislature and went into effect Wednesday, calls for mandatory confiscation of offending youths' driver licenses, higher fines and parents to pay for and attend substance abuse education classes with their children.

The parent-child classes would only be required if children fail to comply with their original sentence..."
Full Article

posted by Shanita | 10/6/2003

New beer tax debate brewing in Korea
The Korea Herald, October 6, 2003
"Should drinkers pay more or less tax on beer than on whiskey?
A group of opposition lawmakers are moving to slash the tax rate on beer, rekindling a controversy over whether taxes should be levied according to the percentage of alcohol in drinks.

According to the National Assembly and the Ministry of Finance and Economy, 17 Grand National Party lawmakers have submitted legislation that calls for lowering the tax rate on beer from 100 percent to 72 percent to make it equal to the rate on distilled liquor.

In the proposal, the legislators said that Korea's Liquor Tax Law promotes the consumption of liquor that has a high percentage of alcohol by imposing less tax on it than on low-alcohol drinks..."
Full Article

posted by Shanita | 10/6/2003

Friday, October 03, 2003

Study: Alcohol Policies Cut Down Drinking
The Harvard Crimson, October 3, 2003
"A strict alcohol policy implemented at all public universities in Massachusetts after the deaths of two college students in 1997 is effective but has been enforced inconsistently, according to a study by two Harvard researchers.

“There was a fairly strong correlation between lower drinking rates and stricter enforcement of the policy,” said John R. Knight, co-author of the study which will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol..."
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Brewing Controversy On Underage Drinking
New London Day, October 3, 2003
"Underage drinking is big business.

Alcohol is the drug of choice for youth and they guzzle up to 20 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States. A staggering six out of every 10 children ages 12 to 17 are at moderate or high risk for substance abuse.

Alarming facts like these have no doubt led the Senate Subcommittee on Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services to hold long-awaited hearings on underage drinking, just weeks after the release of the Institute of Medicine/National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report..."
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Drink ‘may produce blighted generation’
Irish Examiner, October 3, 2003
"IRELAND faces the prospect of a blighted generation if something is not done to tackle the country’s chronic alcohol problem, the Eastern Regional Health Authority (EHRA) warned yesterday..."
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Dabbling in drugs, heavy drinking in Wisconsin county noted
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 1, 2003
"Fewer residents of Waukesha County smoke, compared to the state as a whole, but many still continue to drink heavily and sometimes dabble in other drugs.

At A Glance Kids are still picking up bad habits, too.

Those are some of the results of a new report designed to establish a benchmark for measuring future success in encouraging residents to curb their vices..."
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Female Alcohol Abusers Need Prevention
Newhouse News Service, October 3, 2003
"Medical science has confirmed the old stereotype about alcohol and the sexes: Women get drunk faster than men. Women drinkers also run a greater risk of liver disease and brain damage. A new study shows women get worse hangovers.

But is our knowledge of alcohol and the female body enough to help the estimated 4 million American women who are problem drinkers?

"Prevention is the weakest area," said Edith Gomberg, a retired University of Michigan psychologist who studied women and alcohol for more than 20 years. "We're better at patching people up, but not at heading them off..."
Full Article

posted by MarkB | 10/3/2003

Editorial: Thirst for monopoly / The liquor employees union that scorns liquor customers
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 2, 2003
"Is there a bigger dinosaur in Pennsylvania than Ed Cloonan, head of the Independent State Store Union?

The president of the bargaining unit that represents 646 store managers is riled about the sale of wine and spirits in supermarkets, which will begin late this year in Pennsylvania. He said Monday that children will be exposed to "vodka and vitamins ... Captain Morgan [rum] and Captain Crunch..."
Full Article

posted by MarkB | 10/3/2003

Witness: Priest Boasted Drinking Prowess
The Charlotte Observer, October 2, 2003
"PITTSBURGH - A Roman Catholic priest accused in the alcohol-related death of a college football player had dozens of bottles of liquor on hand and boasted he could match his student guests drink for drink, a teammate testified.

Five witnesses testified Wednesday during a hearing to determine whether an involuntary manslaughter charge should be reinstated against the Rev. Henry Krawczyk in the June 18 death of University of Pittsburgh receiver Billy Gaines..."
Full Article

posted by MarkB | 10/3/2003

Legality of Montana alcohol law in doubt
Helena Independent Record, October 2, 2003
"The legality of a tough new Montana state law that holds parents accountable for youths arrested with alcohol is in question, now that judges from around the state have flooded the state attorney general's office with their concerns.

The controversial state law, which was passed by the 2003 Legislature and went into effect Wednesday, calls for mandatory confiscation of offending youths' driver licenses, higher fines and parents to pay for and attend substance abuse education classes with their children..."
Full Article

posted by MarkB | 10/3/2003

Thursday, October 02, 2003

U.S. Senator Says Alcohol Ads Target Kids
New London Day, October 2, 2003
"From beer commercials featuring scantily clad women wrestling in a water fountain to south-of-the-border spring break television broadcasts and sexy, suggestive magazine advertisements portraying a life of glamour, young people are constantly exposed to alcohol marketing. And so they drink, said Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.

Congress isn't spending enough money to educate parents and minors about alcohol's consequences, Dodd said this week. He urged a coordinated national effort to reduce and prevent underage drinking.

"The federal government spent $1.8 billion to discourage illegal drug use and only $71 million to discourage youth alcohol use" in 2000, Dodd told a subcommittee of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee. "More must be done."

Nearly 11 million youths aged 12 to 20 said they consumed alcohol last year - 7 million of them by having five or more drinks in an evening, according to a survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, a branch of the Health and Human Services Department..."
See Fulltext of article
Related article: "College Drinking Rules Serve Up Mixed Results "

College Drinking Rules Serve Up Mixed Results
Health Scout , October 1, 2003
"A 1997 Massachusetts crackdown on underage college and university drinking has served up mixed results.

A study in the October issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol found the restrictions at 11 state public colleges and universities resulted in widely varying rates of heavy drinking among students at the schools. The study also found uneven enforcement of the alcohol rules by campus security officers.

Researchers at the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at the Children's Hospital of Boston and Harvard University surveyed more than 1,200 students and 21 deans of students and campus security chiefs in 1999..."
See fulltext of article

Citizen ideas become law
The Mercury News, October 2, 2003
"A substance-abuse counselor from San Carlos who wanted to see teen drinking curbed and a Cupertino father who sought an answer to a quandary over the lawful display of a license plate are the latest citizen heroes in Sacramento.

Their suggestions were turned into two pieces of legislation by Palo Alto-area state Assemblyman Joe Simitian and were signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis on Tuesday. They go into effect Jan. 1, 2004.

The ideas were proposed late last year by counselor Donna Lera and Charles Williams, a tech company CEO, after Simitian announced his second annual ``There Oughta Be a Law'' contest. The competition invites ordinary citizens to make suggestions that could generate new laws. Simitian and his staff comb through them, determine which have a chance for success and line up legislative committees to hear them.

"Given the public's disenchantment with government, it's important that people know, through an effort like this, that they can be heard and they can make a difference,'' said Simitian, who got three ``citizen'' bills signed into law last year.

On Wednesday, the Democratic assemblyman kicked off his third annual ``There Oughta Be a Law'' contest with an open house in Palo Alto. He hopes to generate about 100 proposals from citizens, roughly the same number his office has received in each of the past two years..."
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Moonshine hits the city
Time Magazine, October 6, 2003
Forget those images of barefoot hillbillies and turtleback Plymouths tearing around the hills. Moonshine, once a staple of rural Southern culture, is making a comeback - as a big-city public-health hazard. In a study of 581 emergency-room patients at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, published in the September issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine, 9% admitted quaffing the stuff in the past five years. At a dollar a shot, moonshine may be enjoying new popularity because of economic hard times. It's also gaining appeal as a novelty drink - flavored with apples, peaches or other fruit to make a brandy sometimes called tricky liquor. But moonshine can contain high levels of lead, since it is often distilled from corn through old car radiators and even older pipes, and over time this can cause blindness, brain damage and death.
Full Article

posted by MarkB| 10/2/2003

Wednesday, October 01, 2003 

Flaws cited in granting of liquor licenses
The Denver Post, October 1, 2003
"Liquor licenses are being handed out to individuals convicted of domestic violence, public drunkenness and other crimes, a state audit found.

In addition, many liquor stores, hotels, restaurants and other establishments that sell alcohol are receiving licenses without the required physical inspections, according to the audit released Tuesday to the Legislative Audit Committee.

The audit made a series of recommendations, including proposing that the state's Liquor Enforcement Division come up with a list of crimes that would prevent people from getting licenses under the state's "good moral character" law. That law prohibits a person or business from obtaining a liquor license if they are not of "good moral character, record or reputation." However, the broader law does not bar convicted felons from applying for and receiving a license..."
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Malt beverages face higher taxes
Journalstar.com, October 1, 2003
"And the state tax on spirits is about 12 times higher than the tax on beer.
The change will affect Nebraska consumers, the industry and will potentially raise state revenues.

The change will add about $2 in taxes to a six-pack and $7.74 to a case of flavored malt beverage when the rule goes into effect Jan. 1, according to Jerry VanAckeren, with the commission.

The change also will affect more than 1,000 Nebraska stores that have a liquor license to sell beer or beer and wine only. They will no longer be able to carry many of the flavored malt beverages unless they get new, more expensive licenses to also sell spirits.
Beer wholesalers and liquor wholesalers also will be affected by the rule.

The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission decided Tuesday that these drinks, from fruity to cola flavor, should be treated and taxed as a spirit, not a beer. All malt beverage products historically have been taxed as beer..."
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