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| Tue Dec 12 07:25:31 2006 Pacific Time |
| AScribe Home Live Newswire |
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 12 (AScribe Newswire) -- Four Sacramento young people testified today before the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) in a bid to reduce underage drinking by increasing the taxes collected on "alcopops." The teens charged that so-called "flavored malt beverages" actually contain distilled spirits and should be taxed at the higher rate reserved for whiskey or vodka ($3.30/gallon), not beer (.20/gallon), as required by California law. The youth asserted that in addition to increasing state tax revenue by approximately $40 million, taxing alcopops as distilled spirits "would raise the price, thereby reducing [their] appeal to young people."
"I heard someone say that holding young people solely responsible for underage drinking is like holding fish responsible for dying in a polluted stream," said Jimmy Jordan, one of the youth who petitioned the BOE to hold today's hearing. "Alcopops are a good example of irresponsible alcohol industry marketing that pollutes my town. We are asking the BOE to clean up some of the pollution we face by taxing alcopops correctly as distilled spirits."
The young people, who represent California Friday Night Live Partnership, Students Making a Community Change, and California Youth Council, met separately with several members of the BOE before deciding to petition for an amendment to Alcoholic Beverage Tax Regulation 2530. "The young people know this Board has the authority to make alcopops less accessible to California youth," said Lynne Goodwin, of California Friday Night Live Partnership, who accompanied youth to the BOE meetings. "They came here today to ask adults to be responsible and protect kids from products that clearly fuel underage drinking."
A lawsuit filed Nov. 15, 2006, by Louise Renne's Public Law Group, County of Santa Clara v. State Board Of Equalization, seeks precisely the same result as the young people's petition. Public Law Group, concerned the BOE might use the lawsuit as an excuse to delay consideration of the youth petition, wrote to the BOE's Chief Counsel offering an extension of time to answer its suit while the Board considers the youth organizations' petition.
The Marin Institute is an alcohol industry watchdog based in San Rafael, Calif. http://www.MarinInstitute.org
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