Higher Alcohol Taxes Save Lives?

[TropicalTroubador]

Our Parrothead way of life may be challenged:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/11/13/al ... index.html

[C-Dawg]

I read this earlier today....sounds like more Government interference to me

[pirate@43]

why was a Doctor in Fl studying Alcohol in Alaska?

[ragtopW]

sure.... like taking Guns away from us prevents Crime

[Workin' the Room]

"an increase "sin taxes" isn't the same thing as breaking a promise not to raise taxes... after all, it's just the lazy people who drink..." has been the premise for a while.

that is a nice mindset, and it is equally nice of the good doctor to wrap the idea of higher sin taxes in the "we need to do it to save lives" bolt of cloth.

[Capt.Flock]

Alcohol And Health

Moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers. In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer's disease and the common cold. Sensible drinking also appears to be beneficial in reducing or preventing diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, stress and depression, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson's disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), angina pectoris, duodenal ulcer, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, gallstones, liver disease and poor physical condition in elderly.


Longevity

Moderate drinkers tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily.

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A Harvard study found the risk of death from all causes to be 21% to 28% lower among men who drank alcohol moderately, compared to abstainers. 10
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A large-scale study in China found that middle-aged men who drank moderately had a nearly 20% lower overall mortality compared to abstainers. 11
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Harvard's Nurses' Health Study of over 85,000 women found reduced mortality among moderate drinkers. 12
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A British analysis of 12,000 male physicians found that moderate drinkers had the lowest risk of death from all causes during the 13 year study. 13
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A large study of about 88,000 people conducted over a period of ten years found that moderate drinkers were about 27% less likely to die during the period than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers. The superior longevity was largely due to a reduction of such diseases as coronary heart disease, cancer, and respiratory diseases. 14
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A large study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that moderate drinking increased the length of life by about 3% among white males. 15
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A twelve year long prospective study of over 200,000 men found that subjects who had consumed alcohol in moderation were less likely to die than those who abstained from alcohol. 16
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A study of more than 40,000 people by the Cancer Research Center in Honolulu found that "persons with moderate alcohol intake appear to have a significantly lower risk of dying than nondrinkers.” 17
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An analysis of the 89,299 men in the Physicians' Health Study over a period of five and one-half years found that those who drink alcohol in moderation tend to live longer than those who either abstain or drink heavily. 18
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An Italian study of 1,536 men aged 45-65 found that about two (2) years of life were gained by moderate drinkers (1-4 drinks per day) in comparison with occasional and heavy drinkers. 19
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A study of 2,487 adults aged 70-79 years, who were followed for an average period of over five and one-half years, found that all-cause mortality was significantly lower in light to moderate drinkers than in abstainers or occasional drinkers (those who drank <1 drink per week). 20

Healthier Lives

Moderate drinkers tend to enjoy better health than do either abstainers or healthy drinkers.

* A nation-wide survey in the U.S. revealed that daily moderate drinkers experienced significantly less acute hospitalization. 21
* A nine year study of predictors of good health found moderate alcohol consumption to be associated with the most favorable health scores. 22
* A nation-wide Canadian study found moderate drinkers who consumed alcohol daily to have 15% less disability than the general population. 23
* A Dutch study found that moderate drinkers under stress were less likely to be absent from work than were either abstainers or heavy drinkers

[The Lost Manatee]

"Moderation is the key", to quote a famous writer.

Utah has a minimum mark up of 63% on alcohol and then they tax it. You have to purchase it in the State Liquor store. This is done to fund the school lunch program, so help out the kids and drink up! Oh, wait, that's not why they have such a high mark up and tax, it's to discourage drinking. It doesn't but that is the official reason.

[spartan1979]

why was a Doctor in Fl studying Alcohol in Alaska?

"No other state in recent years has increased alcohol taxes in the way that Alaska did in 2002," Wagenaar said. "Basically, they conducted the experiment, and we studied it."

[TropicalTroubador]

why was a Doctor in Fl studying Alcohol in Alaska?

(*shrug*) Beats me. There's no shortage of alcohol in FL, as far as I could tell while I was in town for MOTM. And I studied it intensively while I was there too.