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WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
Alcohol Costs go way beyond the bottle and its contents. Drunk driving,
higher insurance premiums, increased health care costs, fetal alcohol syndrome, domestic
violence, child abuse, sexual assault and other crimes are also Alcohol Costs.
Add to that the price of Underage Drinking, which can lead to academic failure,
juvenile delinquency, other consequent drug abuse, and teenage pregnancy,
and the total Alcohol Costs in New Mexico are pushed well beyond the billion dollar mark,
in addition to the human suffering, which accompanies all this.
WHO IS PAYING THE PRICE FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE?
Not the alcohol industry, nor the consumers.
Alcohol sales continue to grow every year. The industry lobbies the Legislature every year
to continue to pass on the huge cost burden to the public, because if the tax on alcohol were
increased, sales and profits might decrease.
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Nothing changes, since those elected to look after the public's interests are
being influenced to turn a blind eye towards the huge amount of Alcohol Costs,
and more in human misery. Year after year, these costs are passed on…. In 2002,
alcohol-related hospital charges totaled nearly $75 million. DWI crashes alone cost
the general public almost $1 billion per year, which equals $557 per capita, or $1.00
dollar for every drink consumed, while the current state tax on a 12 ounce bottle of beer
is less than 4 cents. The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation documents the
costs of underage drinking at 941 million dollars.
The total alcohol excise tax collected amounts to just $39 million, or only 4% of the cost.
One way or another, we pay for the difference, while alcohol consumers and the alcohol industry
pay nothing for the damage that alcohol does to our society. Taxpayers and victims pick up the tab.
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HOW CAN YOU HELP CHANGE THIS TRAVESTY?
First, browse through our web site to learn our concerns regarding alcohol abuse.
You will see that our objective is "to Stop the increased burden of Alcohol-related Costs on Taxpayers."
You will also see how our proposal will benefit you. Then, when you have read the material, please
return to this page, and sign the petition below. It will be e-mailed to your State Senators and Representatives.
THEN YOUR VOICE, AS A CITIZEN AND A VOTER, WILL BE HEARD!
JOIN US IN STOPPING THE ABUSE NOW!
Finally, please join our e-mail list, so that we can keep you posted as to our progress in shifting at least part
of the huge cost to those, who drink, and thereby allow our tax money to be used for better purposes.
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ALCOHOL TAX INCREASE
From: New Mexico Voters
and Taxpayers To: The New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico
State Senate. SUBJECT: Increase the Alcohol Excise Tax to 25 cents per ounce
of alcohol NOW! (About a Dime a Drink!) Alcohol abuse in New Mexico, costs us, taxpayers and DWI victims, over ONE
BILLION DOLLARS per year. Most of this money comes from our pockets.
This must stop! We want you to enact Legislation this year, which will relieve
us of this BURDEN!
Raise the tax on alcoholic beverages to 25 cents per ounce of alcohol content,
(about a dime a drink.) Ensure that the entire revenue raised goes to fund
Alcohol Abuse Prevention and Treatment Programs.
Provide our 33 counties with one third of this revenue to augment their existing
DWI Programs and to ensure
that their administrations will be able to address the entire alcohol abuse
problem, (not just DWI). The balance should be used at the state level to
fund state-wide programs.
Please do not let the Special Interest Groups stick the taxpayers and victims
with this Alcohol Abuse problem any
longer.
Thank you for your time and attention.
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HOME /
TAXPAYER'S BURDEN ON ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION /
ALCOHOL ABUSE AND UNDERAGE DRINKING
MISSION STATEMENT /
PROPOSED LEGISLATION /
LIST OF SUPPORTERS /
LINKS /
RECOMMENDED NEW OPTIONS FOR ALCOHOL ABUSE TREATMENT
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