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Find us on FacebookVolume 69: April 25, 2011  

The Never-Ending Lobby for Sunday Sales and Cold Beer

Grocery, gas, and convenience stores continue to plead for a deregulated alcohol market in Indiana.

 

After being repeatedly denied by legislators representing Indiana constituents over the past several years, Grant Monahan and the Indiana Retail Council continue to lobby legislators into bringing cold beer and Sunday sales back to the table.

 

According to the Indianapolis Business Journal, opponents of the bill say it's unlikely the General Assembly would take on the dicey issue during the second-to-last week of the session, when lawmakers already are grappling with big issues such as passing a state budget and new maps for voting districts.Gas Pump Alcohol Dispenser

 

So, with important fiscal and political issues facing the state, why do the big-box grocery stores and convenience stores continue to push? According to Monahan, "These are controversial issues for Indiana. Controversial issues take time to percolate."

 

If out-of-state corporate retailers are unsuccessful again this week, Monahan said his group will be back next year to win their share of the market.

 

To read the full article, click here.

National Report Addresses Alcohol Regulations

"The High Cost of Cheap Alcohol," a new national report, is designed to educate the public about the alcohol regulatory system and how it works. It focuses on one of the most powerful tools available to control alcohol problems: price.

 

Time and again, research has shown that when prices go up, alcohol consumption and its attendant social problems go down. To be effective, pricing policies must impact the entire marketplace and be related to availability.

 

The reason is that cheap alcohol is primarily a problem when large quantities of inexpensive products flood the marketplace; a few cheap bottles in a remote location do not lead to overall social harm.

 

Download the PDF report published by RAD's national research partner Campaign for a Healthy Alcohol Marketplace.

IU's Little 500 Sparks Record in Underage Drinking Arrests

Little 500 Beer CanIndiana State Excise Police officers issued 167 summonses to 134 people during Little 500 weekend at Indiana University. Several others were incarcerated. The officers also issued 13 warning tickets, according to the Indiana Daily Student.


This number is the highest since 2008. In 2010, state excise police issued 158 tickets. They issued 157 in 2009, 202 in 2008, and 103 in 2007.

 

Clarence Patton, an underage student visiting the Little 500 from Ivy Tech, told the IU student newspaper he was charged with underage receiving and transporting alcohol at Kroger's parking lot near College Mall.

 

Students faced a judge in Bloomington, who charged them with underage consumption. Penalties included fines and community service.

Surgeons and Alcohol: Watch when you go under the knife

What may seem obvious to some has been proven in a study by Yale University: Surgeons are more error prone and less efficient after a night of drinking alcohol, even if they have no detectable blood alcohol traces, researchers say.

 

The study team held a dinner party for eight top surgeons at Yale University and asked them to drink until they felt drunk, before they performed virtual operations the next day.

 

The surgeons made more errors during the procedure as late as 1 p.m. than when they performed the same operation on the previous day before drinking, according to a report filed by CNN.


The authors called for a "higher level of personal vigilance" from surgeons.

Fairbanks Conference: How to Use Technology to Beat Addiction

Sign up online to register for the Fourth Annual Susan Li Conference, which will be held Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3, in Indianapolis at the Fairbanks Recovery Center.

 

Conference topics include:

  • Science and practice of 12-step recovery
  • Smartphone applications to prevent relapse
  • Web-based virtual world to support recovery
  • Relapse protection for adolescents
  • Enhancing recovery skills for male offenders

Fairbanks LogoThe featured speakers include:

 

Dr. Christine Timko, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist, Department of Veteran Affairs Professor, Stanford University Medical School

 

Norma Bartholomew, M.A., M.Ed., Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University

 

For more information and to check conference fees, click here.

Project RAD's Latest Poll Results

Survey CheckboxShould lawmakers leave the mandatory carding law alone now that the state has strong evidence that it is working?

 

86 percent: Yes. Leave the law alone.

14 percent: No. Let the clerk decide on each transaction.

Project RAD Newsletter Archive

Don't forget! The Project RAD newsletter is archived online on the website under the Newsletter tab. 

 

To date, Project RAD has published 69 weekly newsletters informing the community of alcohol issues on a local and global level.

Alcohol Headlines Around the Country

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates

Berkeley Mayor

Tom Bates

In California

As the retail war between CVS and Walgreens heats up in Berkeley, California, Mayor Tom Bates wants a new law prohibiting any new pharmacy from locating within 1,000 feet of another pharmacy. Pharmacies in Berkeley, like elsewhere, also sell groceries, stationary supplies, and household goods in addition to medicine. Many are also now trying to sell alcohol, which is another reason Bates is interested in limiting their locations. "Unfortunately, an important part of their product mix is the sale of alcoholic beverages, leading to a proliferation of off-sale alcohol permit applications," reads a portion of the proposed ordinance.

 

In Georgia
Georgia has now opened the door to expanded alcohol sales on Sunday. Associate Professor of Political Science Beth Reingold at Emory University said it was "only a matter of time" before Georgia went the same way as other states. She added that the Tea Party helped to catalyze the changes and described the political implications as an indication either that the religious right has lost some influence within the legislature or that social conservatism is less of a priority in the state. "I suspect it's the libertarian influence of the Tea Party that has convinced conservatives and Republicans that arguments such as consumer choice are carrying more weight or are letting businesses do what they want and sell what they want," Reingold said. "It gets the government office off their back."

 

In Washington

Since a ban on cheap fortified beers and wines took effect last year in downtown Spokane, incidents related to public intoxication in the area have dropped. The state Liquor Control Board agreed last April to the city's request to establish a mandatory alcohol impact area downtown, preventing liquor licensees from selling 32 low-cost, high-octane beers and wines in single cans and six-packs for off-premise consumption in an effort to combat chronic public intoxication. Medical calls for alcohol-related incidents have since dropped 47 percent in the area and police responses to alcohol-related incidents have decreased 16 percent.

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