MinnPost reports on a recent study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that nearly a third of American adults drink excessive amounts of alcohol, but only 10 percent of them are alcoholics. “That’s a surprising finding,” comments MinnPost. “For the prevailing assumption has been that most people who drink excessively are alcohol dependent… The new CDC finding also has important public-health implications, for it suggests that most excessive drinkers don’t need to be treated for addiction.”
“People who drink excessively but are not alcohol dependent benefit more, say the CDC researchers, from policies that reduce people’s access to alcohol, such as raising the tax on alcohol, restricting the days and hours during which alcohol can be sold, and holding bars, restaurants and other businesses civilly liable for damages caused by intoxicated patrons.”
Only 1 in 10 heavy drinkers in U.S. are alcoholics, CDC study finds (MinnPost, November 24, 2014)
The solution to higher alcohol taxes is Moonshiners. http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/02/exclusive-clip-new-show-moonshine-shows-secrets-behind-illegal-stills/
Govt. demonstrates its superior logic yet again.
On Jan 16, 1919 Congress prohibited alcohol with the 18th amendment to socially engineer a behavior which busybodies at large found distasteful.
Criminals moved in supplying alcohol, gave us the roaring twenties, and built huge organized crime empires on the profits.
On dec 5, 1933, Congress belatedly realized the foolishness of the 18th and repealed it with the 21st Amendment.
However, we were still stuck with those organized crime families which had become so rich and powerful from bootlegging that Congress later passed the Federal Racketeering Statutes to deal with them.
Today we’re seeing the results of a decades long tax it to social engineer it sales pitch on cigarettes in NYC.
Rand Paul Blames Death of Eric Garner on High NYC Cigarette Tax.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/03/politics/rand-paul-eric-garner-taxes/index.html
Raising Taxes on cigarettes in NYC, to control behaviors, has a long, and ugly history of creating violent crime.
http://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa468.pdf
But at least the CDC is on the case.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=moonshine
“the prevailing assumption has been that most people who drink excessively are alcohol dependent”
Seriously? Which planet they take their assumptions from?
Maybe it would be worth asking what is going on in a society where so many people have a pressing desire to get drunk?
—- Steve
Poverty and unemployment are well known to increase drinking. So do conditions when kids aren’t getting enough parental care and/or are left to stand at the street corner with nothing to do.
Addiction is largely a problem of dysfunctional societies.
Washington (CNN) — In 2010, the New York State Legislature passed a law raising taxes on cigarettes purchased in New York City to $5.85 per pack of 20 cigarettes.
Fast-forward four years: A U.S. senator is blaming the politician that created that law for the chokehold death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man, by a white police officer in New York City in July 2014.
“I do blame the politician,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, explained on MSNBC’s “Hardball.” “We put our police in a dangerous situation with bad laws.”
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/03/politics/rand-paul-eric-garner-taxes/index.html
Can the govt ever come up with a solution for any “problem” that doesn’t include more taxes and more freedom removal ?
People are already protesting in the streets over the American police state.
well that’s one point of view Copy Cat, another is that Big Alcohol stop minimum pricing and control of sale of alcohol just as Big Pharma influences Dr’s and gov so they can sell as much junk as possible: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/government-buried-release-of-key-evidence-on-minimum-alcohol-price-before-policy-uturn-9045158.html