More than 9,000 lives lost each year, many more suffering while Big Alcohol

                      avoids responsibility and taxes



    LOS ANGELES, July 23 /EMWNews/ -- Marin Institute, the

alcohol industry watchdog, held a news conference and town hall meeting in

Los Angeles today to release the disturbing findings of its landmark

report, The Annual Catastrophe of Alcohol in California. Such a

comprehensive study has never been done in California.



    Before a large gathering of public health experts, policymakers, and

community activists, digital clocks ticked away in real time the incredible

economic costs ($1,200 per second or $38.4 billion annually), incidents of

harm (100 per hour or 921,928 annually) and deaths (1 per hour or 9,439

annually).



    Marin's study calculates that moderate-to-high alcohol consumption in

California is costing roughly $1,000 per resident. By comparison, tobacco

costs California approximately $550 per resident. The study also estimates

$25.3 billion in lost productivity and reduced earnings.



    "What makes these study results both so complex and so tragic is how

alcohol-related harm takes so many forms and affects so many lives," said

Michele Simon, Marin Institute research and policy director. Simon

co-authored the report with Ted Miller of the Pacific Institute for

Research and Evaluation and Simon Rosen, Marin Institute research analyst.



    Marin Institute compared the economic losses to those from natural

disasters and concluded that alcohol costs far outpace earthquakes and

fires. Unlike earthquakes, fires, floods and mudslides, which come along

infrequently, the catastrophe of alcohol in California happens annually,

with devastating effects, and can be prevented." Rosen noted.



    The study also estimates an additional $48.8 billion in quality of life

costs, due to the pain and suffering of victims and families. "These harms

are not just economic, they are also deeply personal. Quantifying the pain

and suffering endured by numerous people from alcohol harm may be the most

compelling result of this study," Rosen added.



    Librarian and community activist, Manya Anderson, a life-long resident

of South Los Angeles, continues to witness firsthand the devastation of

alcohol in her own family as well as in the communities of South L.A. "As

residents, it is clear to us that both African American and Latino families

have borne the brunt of the alcohol industry's sale of liquor in our

communities. More liquor in our community means poor health and a lack of

safety."



    California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) observed

that "Whether it's consumed as a vintage wine from a prestigious

appellation or a fortified variant, a micro-brew or malt liquor, an alcopop

or high-end distilled spirit, alcohol's cost is much more than the price

paid for a drink at the corner liquor store or neighborhood bar." He added,

"As a legislator, I am looking forward to engaging my colleagues along with

representatives of the industry in a discussion of the report's findings

and recommendations."



    Marin Institute is calling for a number of steps to reverse the

catastrophe, including higher alcohol taxes to reduce excessive consumption

and the related harm and costs. While the harmful cost of alcohol is equal

to $2.80 per drink, current alcohol taxes come to only 8 cents per drink.

"The alcohol lobby has been very effective in minimizing their taxes and

fees to just 1.7 percent of their income from sales," noted Bruce

Livingston, Marin Institute's executive director. "It's time we hold Big

Alcohol accountable by getting them to pay their fair share."



    Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., MPH, Public Health Officer and Director of

the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department said, "Marin Institute's

report is a much needed reminder of the harm and costs associated with

alcohol consumption in California."



    The study will be published next month by the peer-reviewed journal,

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. To download study findings

visit http://www.marininstitute.org.






                  Marin Institute is based in San Rafael, CA



    Contact: Michael Scippa (415) 548-0492

             Jorge Castillo (213) 840-3336

             Pete Ratajczak (415) 257-2481