More alcohol abuse, drunken driving as Trump makes alcohol cheaper after decades
Health experts in the United States are warning that under the recent tax cuts on alcohol for the first time in decades, the country may witness more alcohol abuse and drunken driving.
The Republican tax overhaul, signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 22, makes alcohol cheaper, which could make people drink more.
“The cheaper alcohol is, the more people drink and the more they have alcohol problems, and there is a huge international literature that has shown that over and over and over,” David Jernigan, the head of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Johns Hopkins University, was quoted as saying in a Politico report on Sunday, “The public health ramifications of this continue to be invisible to policymakers.”
The US Congress actually slashed taxes on various forms alcoholic drinks, including wine, beer, whiskey, vodka and tequila by 16 percent.
“It’s not helpful in terms of fighting drunk driving,” said J.T. Griffin, the chief government affairs officer at Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Beer and spirits operators, which were actually behind the Republican plan, can consequently enjoy an extra $1.6 billion in savings next year.
Still some Republicans, including Ohio Senator Rob Portman, believe that the cuts would have no effect on alcoholism in the US.
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“I don’t think it will have that effect,” he said. “All it does is help small craft breweries and small distillers.”
The last time the US lawmakers touched the alcohol taxes was in 1991, when they increased them.
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