Public Testimony in Support of Increasing Wisconsin's Beer Tax
AWARE (All Wisconsin Alcohol Risk Education) is a UW Health-convened coalition to improve the health and safety of Wisconsin residents in the fight against alcohol abuse.
On Oct. 13 UW Health leaders and a host of statewide organizations and citizens testified on behalf of Assembly Bill 287, telling legislators that an increase in the beer tax has public support and could help solve the public health crisis caused by excessive drinking in Wisconsin.Below are excerpts of supporting testimony:
"We are in the process of a revolutionary transformation from a school of medicine to the first ever school of medicine and public health. As part of our transformation, more than a year ago we began reviewing the major public health issues facing Wisconsin. Quite frankly, we were astonished by Wisconsin's alcohol consumption rankings compared to the rest of the country. I know many of you have heard some of these figures but I think they bear repeating; Wisconsin has the highest rate of alcohol consumption, binge drinking and heavy drinking in the country; and Wisconsin has the highest rate of underage drinking in the country.
"Alcohol abuse hurts thousands of innocent victims in this state through drunk driving accidents and fatalities, increased criminal activity, domestic violence, and increased health care costs. We need to stop this alarming trend, and revenues generated from an increased beer tax will provide needed services and protect all the people in our state."
- Robert Golden, Dean, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
"As western Wisconsin's Level One Trauma Center, we treat impaired drivers and their victims almost every day. In 2007, 30 percent of our emergency room admissions after motor vehicle accident involved alcohol, a jump from 2000, when 11 percent were alcohol-related. In recent years, the level of care that we provide to patients who arrive at our hospital with a blood alcohol level of .08 or above has steadily increased. From July, 2005 to June 2008 we saw nearly 1,400 patients with blood alcohol level of .08 or above.
"In addition, we didn't see these patients just once, we saw them many, many times. On average, over the last three years alone, these 1,400 patients encountered our hospital nearly 6,000 times. In fact, 30 percent of the time these patients entered our hospital through the ER. UW Health spends more than 16 percent of its charity care dollars on people who arrive legally intoxicated. The average blood alcohol limit of those patients is .22, nearly three times the legal limit."
- Donna Katen-Bahensky, President and CEO, UW Hospital and Clinics
"Wisconsin is a leader in overconsumption of alcohol. From a health care perspective, Gundersen Lutheran can attest to the toll of alcohol on public health. And as a former state prosecutor, I can also attest to the tragedy of alcohol abuse on our society and the criminal justice system. I have seen countless honest, hard-working citizens incarcerated and families torn apart because they cannot control their drinking. We urgently ask this Committee and the Wisconsin Legislature to provide increased funding for alcohol abuse awareness, education and treatment to reverse this destructive trend in this community."
- Eric Tempelis, Director of Government Relations, Gundersen Lutheran Health System
"The issue of increasing the tax on fermented malt beverages is long overdue. A lot has transpired in this country since 1969 when Wisconsin first implemented the $2 per barrel (6.5 cents per gallon) rate. This tax rate has not kept up with inflation. If it had, the beer tax would be 38 cents per gallon. How do these rates stack up against the statewide cost of alcohol-related crashes and medical costs? The combined tax collections for beer, wine and liquor from 2007-08 were $54.79 million. The costs from alcohol-related crashes and medical conditions for 2007 were $935 million. Clearly, the drinking population is not paying their share of the cost to society."
- Nina Emerson, Resource Center on Impaired Driving
