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Find us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterVolume 120: February 12, 2013    
UPDATE: House Bill 1146

 

On Feb. 6, HB1146 - Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages for carryout - was heard in the Indiana House Public Policy Committee. This bill would allow the holder of an alcoholic beverage permit to sell alcoholic beverages for carryout on Sunday. Pamela S. Erickson, Former Executive Director of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and CEO of Public Action Management stood before the House Committee on Public Policy to identify the consequences of alcohol deregulation.

Please read her testimony to understand why this bill is not a good fit for Indiana.

 

Testimony of Pamela S. Erickson, Former Executive Director of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Current President/CEO of Public Action Management
       

Before the House Committee on Public Policy

Regarding House Bill No. 1146

February 6, 2013 

 

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee I am a former alcohol regulator who left to join the alcohol and drug abuse prevention community. As a prevention advocate, my admiration of our various states' regulatory systems increased as I immersed myself in the research on how to combat underage drinking and other alcohol problems. My particular mission is to explain alcohol regulations in simple terms and identify how they work to reduce problems. I operate a public education campaign called the "Campaign for a Healthy Alcohol Marketplace" (www.healthyalcoholmarket.com.).

 

My purpose today is to identify likely consequences of weakening your alcohol control system by expanding access to purchase on Sunday. I ask your consideration of the following points:

 

1. Public health officials recommend against increasing days of sale due to the likelihood of an increase in alcohol harm. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has convened a group of leading public health officials that independently look at credible research to determine whether there is evidence to support various alcohol policies. Here is what these researchers concluded about policies such as adding Sunday sales: "The evidence from these studies indicated that increasing days of sale leads to increases in excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms and that reducing the number of days that alcoholic beverages are sold generally decreases alcohol-related harms." (Middleton JC, Hahn RA, Kuzara JL, Elder R, Brewer R, Chattopadhyay S, Fielding J, Naimi TS, Toomey T, Lawrence B, Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Effectiveness of policies maintaining or restricting days of alcohol sales on excessive alcohol consumption and related harms. Am J Prev Med 2010;39(6):575-89. 

 

2. It is unlikely that most Indiana citizens would benefit from Sunday sales because they do not drink at all or drink very rarely. It is a myth that most Americans are frequent purchasers of alcohol. The Gallup polling organization has been surveying the alcohol consumption habits of Americans since the 1940's. Here are the results of a Gallup poll where respondents were asked how often they drank alcohol:

33% never

29% only on special occasions such as New Year's or holidays

9 % less than once a week

 

10% about once a week

13% a few times a week

7% every day

 

Based on this information, it would appear that only about 20% drink often enough to use the additional access.

 
3. A trend of steady loosening of alcohol regulations is usually accompanied by an increase in alcohol problems. 

 

In their survey work, the Gallup organization has regularly asked this question: Has drinking ever been a cause of trouble in your family? In 1974, 12% said yes. By 2004, that percentage had increased to 37%, a three-fold increase. Recent surveys show a decline to 30%, which is good, but still pretty high. Since 1974, there has been a loosening of regulations with hours and days of sale extended, more forms of alcohol sold in more places, an increase in types of products, increased advertising, and an increase in the number of outlets.

 

 

 

 4. The public considers alcohol to be a serious problem to society. The 2012 Gallup poll revealed that 86% of the public considered alcohol to be a serious problem of some degree. Only 12% thought alcohol was not a serious problem. Other surveys usually show that the public is supportive of alcohol regulation.

 

5. Alcohol regulations are designed to foster public health and safety, not to moralize or promote religious practices. Closure of businesses on one or two days of the weekend have various purposes such as allowing employees and businesses a day or two of rest. Many businesses continue to be closed on Sunday and some on Saturday. Sunday sales bans are not an attempt to moralize or impose religion on the public; rather they limit availability of alcohol because increased availability is associated with increased problems.  

6. Adding a day of sale will increase the burden on law enforcement. Regular enforcement compliance checks on alcohol outlets represent a very effective means of preventing sales to minors.   Allowing Sunday sales would necessitate increased checks for Sundays. In addition, law enforcement can expect increased disturbances and nuisance crimes that can occur near places that sell alcohol. 

   

7. Additional revenue from Sunday sales may not materialize and is unlikely to be sufficient to pay for the likely increased social problems. Today many governments are anxious to increase revenue. As a result, some believe expansion of days and hours of sale will bring additional revenue to government coffers. But, increased sales invariably mean increased drinking. Research has shown that increased consumption leads to increased problems with alcohol.   

 

8. Allowing Sunday sales will primarily benefit large, out-of-state chain stores and weaken Indiana's well-designed system of package liquor stores. These stores are designed for adults only and specialize in alcohol sales. They can only carry a limited number of other products. Such limitation makes it much less likely that they can engage in price wars or price inducements that push consumption. Not only will Sunday sales increase access, but it will make it increasingly difficult for package stores to compete. 

 

9. The reduction in deaths due to drunk driving is a great success story, but we have not made the same kind of progress in injuries. In 2010, Mothers Against Drunk Driving noted there were 345,000 injuries due to drunk driving. In 2011, injuries rose to 350,000. To illustrate the high cost of such injuries, I featured a novel in my October newsletter. The novel is based on the life of my friend, Jan Snyder. In 1988, she and her husband were hit by a drunk driver. Her husband and the drunk driver were killed and Jan's body was crushed. For three years, she required 24/7 nursing care. She had to re-learn to walk, talk, stand, feed and dress herself. The total cost of care for such an injury to just one person is in the millions of dollars.
Shouldn't we do everything possible to prevent these tragedies in the first place?

 

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