Category: Policy

I. Background. You’ll find here a summary of each state’s laws about the minimum age to sell alcohol in off-premises venues. That is, in places where customers must take the alcohol elsewhere to consume it. Some states have higher minimum ages for selling spirits. (Spirits are vodka, gin, brandy, tequila, whiskey, rum, etc.) The laws […]

I. Background Most studies find that people generally underreport alcohol consumption by about 40% to 60%. This doesn’t mean that people always lie about their drinking. To some degree, people simply don’t remember accurately. However, there are patterns to the underreporting. Clearly, people react to social expectations. And they want to maintain a good image. […]

Dry counties have higher DWI or DUI fatality rates than wet counties. That is, alcohol prohibition or dry counties have higher rates of alcohol-related traffic deaths than do wet counties. Here are the results from three states. There are many examples. Here are three. I. Arkansas A study of all counties in Arkansas found dry […]

I. Background: Alcohol Taxes.              Governments collect excise taxes on alcohol beverages. That is, on beer, wine, and distilled spirits (liquor). Both the federal government and state governments impose alcohol taxes. Producers, importers, wholesalers and, sometimes, retailers pay excise alcohol taxes. Of course, they pass these these alcohol taxes on […]

I. Impact of BAC on Traffic Crashes. What’s the effect of BAC on traffic crashes? (BAC = blood alcohol concentration.) Most drivers who have any alcohol in their bodies have a low and legal BAC. As a result, they have few alcohol-related crashes. The chart below shows BAC in relation to risk of crach. Clearly, […]

I. Beliefs about Alcohol Policy. Many groups and individuals oppose alcohol monopoly privatization. Of course, public employee unions adamantly fight against it for obvious reasons. In addition, many temperance-oriented groups also strongly oppose increasing the availability of alcohol. That includes limiting the Number of stores that can sell alcohol. Days and hours of alcohol sales. […]

I. The Question. Does drinking alcohol mixed with energy drinks cause more alcohol consumption? Do drinkers feel more intoxicated? Does it lead to more risk-taking behavior? These are important questions. And they’re hotly debated. The concerns have led to laws, regulations, and public policies. Many people and organizations suggest that caffeine in energy drinks can […]

The minimum drinking age on cruise ships varies, even within the same cruise line. The U.S. has the highest minimum drinking age in the world. This creates numerous headaches for both cruise lines and passengers. In most cruise destinations, the minimum drinking age is 18. You’ll find a link to each cruise line’s home page. […]

I. What is Moonshine? Moonshine is slang for distilled spirits made without governmental authorization. The term may have originated because much of the distilling, packaging and distribution was done at night. Or it may have come from “moonraker.” That was an early English word for a smuggler. Other common terms for illegally-made spirits are mountain […]

The Amethyst Initiative is a group of college and university presidents across the U.S. They promote public discussion about the unintended consequences of current alcohol policies. This includes the minimum legal drinking age of 21. Amethyst Initiative presidents  invite new ideas on how best to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol use. Dr. […]