Alcohol regulation in the news

As the state works to implement I-1183, the initiative that privatizes liquor sales and further deregulates alcohol in general, the impacts of deregulation are being exposed.

For an overview of how I-1183 is playing out in Seattle, check out Getting liquored up which appears in Seattle City Living.  The article questions promises made by the proponents of deregulation such as lower liquor prices and more selection. 

Who wants to sell booze? appeared in yesterday's PI and lists the many stores that are applying for licenses to sell hard alcohol.  Here's an excerpt:

Of the 1,400 stores expected to sell liquor under Initiative 1183, more than 850 have applied for one of the state’s new retail spirits licenses.

Most of the requests are from big-box chains you’d expect to sell under the measure, which killed the state’s Prohibition-era liquor system. But there’s a few surprises in who wants in on the booze business.

Approved by voters last November, the measure allows stores at least 10,000 square feet to sell vodka, gin and other spirits. There’s an exception for smaller stores, if no other store sells liquor in its “trade area.” The state still needs to define that term.

Meanwhile, HealthDay reports: Support for tougher liquor laws rises when booze, crime linked.  The article states: It is estimated that drinking is involved in nearly one-third of deaths from accidents and violent crime. Most news reports of such cases, however, make no mention of alcohol, according to the authors of the study, published in the March issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Then there is the CNN story, Studies cite link between booze sales, inner-city violence that reports: "Taking into account other factors known to contribute to youth homicide rates – such as poverty, drugs, availability of guns and gangs – the researchers found that higher densities of liquor stores, providing easy access to alcoholic beverages, contributed significantly to higher youth homicide rates . . ."  This echos what prevention advocates have been saying all along, that higher rates of alcohol availability is bad for public health.

Not to mention that the World Health Organization is now pushing for stronger alcohol regulations worldwide. 

Finally, a Seattle Times article about how craft distilleries may be harmed by I-1183 reports: Joe Gilliam, president of the Northwest Grocery Association, which represents Costco and others, met recently with Idaho's governor and other officials to discuss privatizing its liquor system. 

My question is: who is the prevention community's Joe Gilliam?  Those of us advocating for policies that prevent underage drinking, such as tough regulations, have a steep path ahead of us considering the money and power wielded by the alcohol industry. 

How new liquor rules will affect communities

From the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking:

Last fall Washington voters passed Initiative 1183. Among other things, it privatizes Washington’s hard liquor distribution and sales system. Currently the WA State Liquor Control Board is developing new guidelines and procedures which will help govern implementation of I-1183. Here are responses to key questions.

Will we have more outlets selling spirits (hard liquor)?
It’s very likely there will be a significant increase in stores selling hard liquor. Your local Walmart, Safeway, or any other large outlet (over 10,000 sq. ft.) can apply for a retail spirits license. If there are no stores that large in your area, smaller stores may apply for a license to sell hard liquor.

Will it be easier for young people to get alcohol in stores?
Currently there is no requirement about training clerks to check ID. More than 95% of Washington’s state liquor stores passed liquor sales compliance checks. The rate in non-state stores was less than 80%.

Will there be more Liquor Control Officers enforcing liquor laws?
No, the Initiative does not require the addition of enforcement officers to deal with the increased number of sales outlets. Your local city or county will receive additional funds for public safety but they are not required to use those funds for enforcement of liquor laws and regulations.

Will the hours for selling alcohol be increased?
We don’t know. The Initiative requires the Liquor Control Board to develop a Responsible Vendor Program. That program can include standardized sale hours and require training of all employees. The LCB is soliciting comment now.

How can I provide my input to the Liquor Control Board about the Responsible Vendor Program?
The Liquor Control is taking comment on the new rules now. To comment, send an email with your recommendations about training criteria, standardized store hours, location of spirits products, and other concerns to rules@liq.wa.gov. Make sure to type Responsible Vendor Program in the subject line of your email.

For parents: another problem with drinking in high school

The Partnership at Drugfree.org recently released a series of online videos to help parents prevent underage drinking and drug use among their children.  Here is one entitled "Another Problem with Drinking in High School".

Strengthening Families Program at Eckstein Middle School

Eckstein Middle School families are invited to participate in:

Strengthening Families Series
A free program for parents/guardians and their Eckstein students
Every Tuesday from February 28 to April 10, 2012
5:30-8:00 p.m. at Eckstein Middle School

Adolescent health experts will provide many tools to help adults parent their tween and teen.  Tweens and teens will learn skills for better communication and tips for how to resist peer pressure. 

Dinner for all participants will be provided.  Free childcare for children ages 2-12 will be available. 

For more information, contact the Strengthening Families coordinator.

Coalition supports a statewide medicine return program

Feb. 8 UPDATE: SSB 5243 has been moved out of committee to the Senate floor and is awaiting a vote.  As expected, pharmaceutical companies are lobbying hard against the bill.   

Prevention Works in Seattle supports the development of a statewide medicine return program funded by pharmaceutical companies because:

• Prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse among adolescents is on the rise in Washington State and around the nation.

• Medicine return programs are one tool communities can use to reduce teenage prescription drug abuse.

As the recipient of federal money, the coalition, as a group, cannot lobby for specific legislation.  However . . .
 
• Everyone can forward information to others.

• As individuals, coalition members can contact legislators and tell them that you support SSB 5234 and HB 1370.  The Washington State Senate Rules Committee needs to hear from people immediately if the legislation is to make it to a full Senate vote.

• If people wish to contact legislators as a part of their jobs but are not allowed to lobby, the statement at the top of this post may be used. 

More information and resources are available on the Take Back Your Meds campaign website.

Senate committee considers even more alcohol deregulation

The Washington State Senate's Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee will be voting on the following three bills tomorrow morning. 

1) SB 5650 - Allowing craft distilleries to sell their own spirits at qualifying farmers markets.


2) SB 6475 - Changing the criteria for the beer and wine tasting endorsement for grocery stores.

3) SB 6477 - Concerning spirits sampling in former contract liquor stores.

All three of these bills further deregulate alcohol by increasing the number of places where it can be sold or sampled.  Not to mention that I-1183 establishes that spirits should only be sold in stores that are 10,000 square feet or larger -- how large are farmers markets? 
 
This legislation is part of a growing trend of bills that normalize the casual use of alcohol in places such as grocery stores and farmers markets -- places frequented by children. 
 
Considering that most people drive to grocery stores and farmers markets, such bills also dilute the directive "don't drink and drive" to "it is okay to drink a little and drive".

Eckstein community meeting: parents preventing teen drug abuse

Tonight!  All are welcome!

"Prescription for Abuse" premieres Monday on KCTS 9

Prescription for Abuse
Monday, January 30, 2012, 9:00 p.m.
KCTS 9

KCTS 9 and InvestigateWest report on the alarming increase in prescription-drug abuse in Washington state, looking at doctors who overprescribe, the lack of regulation or treatment options, and how this epidemic is affecting teenagers, seniors and middle-class families.

In addition, several print and online stories on the topic were published this week.  They may be viewed via the Investigate West webpage.

Learn more about proposed legislation that would establish a statewide medicine return program at TakeBackYourMeds.org.  Medicine return programs are one way to reduce prescription drug abuse.

New Day Northwest: parents & underage drinking

Yesterday, Prevention WINS coalition members appeared on KING 5's New Day Northwest to discuss how parents can prevent underage drinking.




Some of the questions were about the new social host law passed by the Mercer Island City Council.

Engaging communities to prevent underage drinking

I often get questions about community coalitions, like Prevention WINS, and our role in preventing youth substance abuse.  An article appearing in a recent edition of Alcohol Research & Health (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) explains how communities engaged in preventing underage drinking are particularly effective.  Following are a few excerpts about what makes for a successful coalition from Engaging Communities to Prevent Underage Drinking:

Community-based efforts offer broad potential for achieving population-level reductions in alcohol misuse among youth and young adults.  A common feature of successful community strategies is reliance on local coalitions to select and fully implement preventive interventions that have been shown effective in changing factors that influence risk of you engaging in alcohol use . . .

Although coalitions are a common element of effective community-based prevention, not all coalition efforts have produced significant changes in alcohol use . . . The evaluations [of unsuccessful community efforts] indicated that . . . the mere presence of an active, well-intentioned coalition is not enough to prevent AOD [alcohol and other drugs] use.  In other words, simply gathering local stakeholders and asking them to collaborate to do their best to solve local drug problems or preventing underage drinking does not produce desired changes.

Instead, the evidence suggests that in order to be successful, coalitions must ensure the following:

~ They must have clearly defined, focused, and manageable goals;

~ They must have adequate planning time;

~ Prevention decisions must be based on empirical data about what needs to change in the community and on evidence from scientifically valid students of what has worked to address those needs;

~ They must implement prevention policies, practices, and programs that have been tested and shown to be effective; and

~ They must carefully monitor prevention activities to ensure implementation quality.