Government & Politics

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- As state budgets sink, Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, today released a tool to calculate the rising tide of alcohol taxes and fees. The user-friendly alcohol tax calculator can be found at www.MarinInstitute.org.

"It looks simple," said Michele Simon, research and policy director at Marin Institute. But the calculations behind the scenes are anything but simple. This is a serious tool for lawmakers and advocates who need fast, accurate numbers."

The powerful online program works for every state, as well the federal government and the District of Columbia. You just enter the amount of new tax (nickel or dime a drink, for example) for beer, wine or spirits (or any combination). Then the program instantly estimates additional annual revenue, based on a variety of factors specific to that particular jurisdiction.

Marin Institute developed the tool in response to inquiries from states looking for new revenue sources while holding Big Alcohol accountable for the enormous harm its products cause. Many states have not raised alcohol taxes or fees in decades. States with pending legislation to raise alcohol taxes or fees include: California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Hawaii.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, higher alcohol taxes lead to reductions in the frequency of drinking and heavy drinking among youth, lower traffic fatalities, and reduced incidences of alcohol-related crime.

"Our new alcohol tax calculator will help state lawmakers raise significant new funds to help solve budget shortfalls and fund critical programs such as prevention, treatment, emergency room and trauma care, healthcare, mental health, crime prevention and traffic safety," added Simon. "An increase in federal alcohol taxes (not raised since 1991) could also fund President Obama's healthcare agenda. It's a win-win solution for governments and the people."

Marin Institute is an alcohol industry watchdog based in San Rafael, CA.
www.marininstitute.org.


CONTACT: Michael J. Scippa 415 257-2490
Jorge Castillo 415 257-2488


SOURCE: Marin Institute