LANSING – Michigan’s existing system of alcohol regulations and safeguards has helped manufacturers, distributors and retailers in the beer and wine sectors succeed economically while balancing public safety and health priorities, panelists at a Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) forum said today.

Jim Hall, CAP Advisory Council member and former chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, credited Michigan’s forward-looking system of alcohol regulations with driving the growth of the local beer and wine industries, opening new markets and creating value.

Today, Michigan is home to more than 90 craft brewers, ranking the state fifth nationally. Michigan is also home to 178 wineries (ranking it eighth nationally), 130 distributors (sixth nationally) and more than 16,200 retail outlets for beer and wine.  Altogether, the alcohol industry employs nearly 40,000 people statewide and has an economic impact of more than $5 billion each year.

“The alcohol industry in America is strong – and here in Michigan, you are a leader in creating jobs and economic impact,” Hall said.

The forum, “The Economic Impact of the Alcohol Industry in Michigan,” was the first of the CAP’s 2012 Michigan Alcohol Policy Series and featured presentations by Michigan’s leading craft brewer, Larry Bell, founder and CEO of Bell’s Brewery; Auday Arabo, president and CEO of Associated Food & Petroleum Dealers, representing more than 3,000 large and small retailers in Michigan; Mike Brown, partner at Carlin Edwards Brown, PLLC;  Ed O’Keefe III, president of Chateau Grand Traverse Winery; and Mike Lashbrook, president of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, which represents nearly 60 family-owned beer and wine distributors.

Bell said the growth of Michigan’s domestic craft beer sector is the result of hard work, innovation, entrepreneurship – and a system that allows small brewers to compete on a level playing field with large producers.

That framework, also known as the three-tier system, requires alcohol producers to sell their products to independent, licensed distributors, who then sell the products to individual retailers such as grocery and liquor stores.

“The three-tier system in Michigan provides for a level playing field and allows small brewers to get their products to market,” Bell told the audience.

Today, Bell’s Brewery is the 14^th largest craft beer producer in the nation, producing more than 240,000 barrels a year. Bell said Michigan’s craft beer sector is also driving tourism through craft beer festivals and sports and arts sponsorships.

According to O’Keefe, Michigan’s wine industry is also experiencing tremendous growth, with 590,000 cases of wine sold in Michigan in 2011 (up from 334,000 cases in 2005).

Arabo said Michigan’s regulations have found the right balance between meeting the needs of businesses and the need to protect public health and safety.

“Michigan is the best of both worlds,” Arabo said. “From a retailer standpoint, it is a very good system.”

While he voiced support for updating an overly cumbersome licensing process in Michigan that dates back decades, Arabo cautioned against changes that impact public health and people’s safety – including possible proposals to increase the number of alcohol licenses.

“Just because you have more licenses, doesn’t mean you will have more sales,” Arabo said. “At the end of the day, we are all parents, grandparents, members of our community – and we have to be responsible. We’re not selling milk, eggs or bread. We’re selling alcohol.”

Session Two of the series, “Public Safety and Law Enforcement in Alcohol Regulation,” will take place Wednesday, April 18, 2012; and Session Three of the series, “What’s Happening in the World of Alcohol Regulation,” will take place Thursday, May 3, 2012.  All sessions will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing.

Download the full Session One presentation here.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy is pleased to announce that Laura Napoli, an attorney from New York, New York, is the winner of its Fourth Annual Essay Contest.  Napoli’s essay, “A Regulatory Roadmap: The Importance of Toward Liquor Control to Modern Alcohol Policy,” outlines how Toward Liquor Control explains why today’s state alcohol regulatory systems developed the way they did and provided a blueprint for many of the alcohol regulatory systems that are in place today.

Toward Liquor Control is the result of a study commissioned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1933, which provided a blueprint for states to follow when determining their alcohol regulatory systems following Prohibition.  The Center republished the previously out-of-print book in 2011 to provide those interested in effective state-based alcohol regulation with a historical perspective and an understanding of why the system remains important today.

“The authors of Toward Liquor Control realized that national Prohibition simply could not function effectively in the America they knew,” Napoli’s essay states.  “They understood that one of the main causes of Prohibition’s failure was the national government’s imposition of a blanket viewpoint on a nation made up of very diverse people.  The authors therefore advised that future alcohol policies be developed based on a smaller set of viewpoints – for example, taking the views of all people in a given state or community into account.”

“Arguably the most important lesson Toward Liquor Control gives us today is to ‘keep it local,’” Napoli concludes.

Ryan Lozar, an attorney from San Diego, California, was named the second place winner in this year’s contest.  Jeremy Carp, an undergraduate student at Macalester College, and Ashley Watkins, a law student at Duke University, tied for third place.

The winning entrants receive prizes of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 respectively.

The contest is intended to foster debate, analysis and examination of state alcohol regulation. The topic of the 2011 contest was “The Importance of Toward Liquor Control to Modern Alcohol Policy.”

“Toward Liquor Control reminds readers of the challenges associated with alcohol sales and consumption before Prohibition and how today’s state-based regulatory system was established to encourage responsible alcohol consumption and promote competition while maintaining public health and safety,” said CAP Advisory Council member and Samford University Cumberland School of Law Professor Brannon Denning. “This year’s essay contest gave citizens from across our country the opportunity to study this publication and provide their insights on how many of the issues addressed in Toward Liquor Control still face policymakers today.”

The book Toward Liquor Control can be purchased online at www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.  It is also available as an iBook through Apple’s iBookstore, a NOOK book from Barnes and Noble and other popular e-book formats.

To read the winning essays, please visit https://www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/essay-contest.

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 The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org or follow the Center on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlcoholPolicy.

Alexandria, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is proud to announce its partnership with PBS station WETA in Washington, D.C., to sponsor the upcoming documentary Prohibition in the Washington, D.C., media market.  This three-part, five-and-a-half hour film series directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick tells the story of the rise, rule and fall of the 18^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the era it encompassed. The series will premiere October 2 – 4 on PBS stations across the country.

“The Prohibition series will shine a national spotlight on the important role Prohibition played leading up to the 21^st Amendment, which established today’s effective system of alcohol regulation and distribution,” said CAP Advisory Council member and former Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch.  “Viewers of Prohibition will learn about the failures of this one-size-fits-all national alcohol policy and how it gave rise to a state-based system of alcohol controls.  It’s important for citizens to understand that the repeal of Prohibition is not the end of the story – it’s where the story of today’s successful system began.”

CAP Advisory Council member and former police chief and state alcohol regulator Jerry Oliver continued, “Unlike other nations around the world that are making headlines for unregulated or unsafe alcohol, the United States maintains a state-based system of alcohol regulation that has been extremely effective at supporting robust marketplace competition while at the same time promoting public safety.  The Center is excited to take part in this look back at our nation’s history and discussions of how society should regulate alcohol – a product that can have benefits in moderation but can also be abused.  This attention to the history and origin of America’s state-based alcohol regulatory system is very timely to the Center’s recent republication of Toward Liquor Control, which helped guide alcohol policy in the states post-Prohibition.”

To learn more about Toward Liquor Control, the featured topic of this year’s Center for Alcohol Policy’s Annual Essay Contest, please visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

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 The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

CHICAGO, IL – The Fourth Annual Center for Alcohol Policy Alcohol Law Symposium kicked off day two in Chicago, Illinois, with a panel discussion titled, “Controversial Alcoholic Products.” Speakers included William H. Foster of the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB); Bruce Livingston from the non-profit alcohol industry watchdog Alcohol Justice; Donald S. McGehee of the Michigan Department of Attorney General; and Stephanie Stumbo of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.  As recent news headlines have brought renewed attention to some controversial alcoholic products – from grain alcohol to large containers to high alcohol products – the panelists discussed industry responsibilities as well as the role of state and federal regulations.

A panel entitled “Hot Topics in Alcohol Regulation” highlighted a wide variety of issues and challenges facing state alcohol regulators and attorneys, from budget pressures to understanding which proposed laws would be subject to legal challenge.  Former Rhode Island Attorney General and current Center for Alcohol Policy advisor Patrick Lynch moderated the panel, which included William Kelley of the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission and President of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators; and Stephanie Stumbo of the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.  Each panelist drew from their own professional experiences to discuss issues their states have been facing in 2011.

The Symposium concluded with a panel on “Franchise Law Policy and Developments,” which featured Michael Madigan of Madigan, Dahl & Harlan, P.A.; and David Raber of Lumpe and Raber, Esq.  The attorneys offered insights on recent actions related to the relationships between alcohol suppliers and alcohol distributors, and they highlighted potential future activities in this important area of alcohol codes.

More details on speakers, education session topics and the Symposium agenda can be found at www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

CHICAGO, IL – The Fourth Annual Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) Alcohol Law Symposium kicked off Monday, September 12, with remarks by CAP Advisory Council member and former Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch. “This gathering is a key opportunity for state alcohol regulators, public health advocates, members of the alcohol beverage industry and others interested in alcohol policy issues to come together to learn and share ideas,” said Lynch.

Washington Attorney General and National Association of Attorneys General President Rob McKenna delivered a keynote address on the role state attorneys general (AGs) play in regulatory, law enforcement and public health functions.  He addressed the “unprecedented levels of youth exposure to alcohol marketing,” especially in today’s age of digital and social media.  He referenced studies that show exposure of young people to alcohol marketing can speed up the onset of drinking and increase the amount consumed by those already drinking.

“AGs have an obligation to protect our youngest citizens – as well as responsible businesses – from potentially-unfair marketing practices by some in the industry who place short term profits and market share over the lives of our young people and public health,” explained McKenna.  “That’s why AGs want to ensure a fair and level playing field for companies to compete.”

Alcohol regulators, law enforcement, a professor of alcoholic beverage law, public health advocates and alcohol law attorneys spoke on panels about topics including:

• The Timeless Importance of Toward Liquor Control
• Who are the Stakeholders in Alcohol Regulation?
• Age Verification and Alcohol
• Privatization of Alcohol Systems
• Law Enforcement’s Role in Alcohol Regulation
• Supreme Court and 21^st Amendment Roundup

The Fourth Annual CAP Alcohol Law Symposium continues Tuesday, September 13, at The Hyatt Regency Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. More details on speakers, education session topics and the Symposium agenda can be found at www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

For live updates from the event, follow @AlcoholPolicy on Twitter using the hashtag #CAPLaw.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy’s educational video, The Dangers of Alcohol Deregulation: The United Kingdom Experience vs. American Alcohol Regulation, has been honored with a gold award in the “Media Innovation: Video” category of Association Media & Publishing’s 2011 EXCEL Awards.  This annual competition recognizes the best and brightest in association and non-profit media and publishing.  The Center’s video was applauded for effective use of impactful graphics and informative statistics as well as clearly communicating a significant amount of information in a short amount of time.

“This video is a valuable tool that helps further the Center for Alcohol Policy’s efforts to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and its regulation,” said Patrick Lynch, member of the Center’s Advisory Council and former Rhode Island Attorney General.

The Center produced the educational video to highlight the contrast between the deregulated system of alcohol controls in the United Kingdom with the effective system of alcohol regulation in the United States.  The video conveys a serious message about the lessons Americans should take from the United Kingdom, where alcohol is sold below cost and available 24 hours per day, fueling an increase in crime, alcohol-related hospital admissions and childhood drinking.  This depiction helps viewers better understand why the United States has a state-based system of alcohol regulation under the 21^st Amendment, which provides separation between alcohol producers and retailers, and how it works to effectively regulate alcohol as it does today.

In addition to disseminating copies of the video to members of the alcohol industry and members of community and public health coalitions, the Center has made the video available to the media and the public by posting it on the Center for Alcohol Policy’s Web site at https://www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/.

The Center for Alcohol Policy was recognized June 1 at the 31^st Annual EXCEL Awards Gala, held in conjunction with the Association Media & Publishing Annual Meeting, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The winning entries were on display at the event.  The winners are also featured in the July/August issue of Signature magazine.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

Original Work on State Alcohol Regulation Returns to Circulation

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is excited to announce the republication of Raymond B. Fosdick’s and Albert L. Scott’s, Toward Liquor Control, which has been out of circulation for more than 50 years.

In 1933, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. commissioned Fosdick and Scott to study alcohol regulation and prepare America for the return of legal alcohol and its regulation following the passage of the 21^st Amendment which ended Prohibition. They produced Toward Liquor Control, a work that still shapes alcohol policy in America to this day.

“The republication of Toward Liquor Control is an opportunity for today’s citizens to understand many of the origins of modern alcohol regulation in the United States,” said CAP Advisory Council member and former police chief and alcohol regulator Jerry Oliver.  “As Prohibition was coming to an end, this book was one of the key documents influencing how the country would deal with alcoholic beverages going forward.  Its content is just as important today as when it was written.”

John D. Rockefeller, Jr. notes in the foreword of the book, “If carefully laid plans of control are not made, the old evils against which prohibition was invoked can easily return.” The following report by Fosdick and Scott advised how to avoid returning to the corruptions of the pre-Prohibition era and provided the template for alcohol control policy that the states ultimately followed.

The CAP is republishing Toward Liquor Control with permission in order to provide those interested in effective state-based alcohol regulation with a historical perspective and an understanding of why the system remains important today.

Toward Liquor Control reminds readers of the challenges associated with alcohol, sales and consumption before Prohibition and how today’s state-based regulatory system was established to encourage responsible alcohol consumption and promote competition while maintaining public health and safety.

To purchase copies of the reprinted book, click here.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

Center for Alcohol Policy Releases Survey Results on Public Attitudes on Alcohol Policy

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Americans want to keep in place state and local alcohol regulations to keep them safe, according to a new national poll conducted by a bipartisan team of pollsters, Whitman Insight Strategies and Wilson Research Strategies.  The survey shows that 77% of adults support “the rights of individual states to set their own laws and regulations” regarding the sale of alcohol.

“The survey results show that Americans overwhelmingly agree that alcohol is a unique product that requires effective regulation, and they support keeping decisions about alcohol at the state and local level,” said Patrick Lynch, former Rhode Island Attorney General, former president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG)  and current member of the CAP Advisory Council.

Fellow CAP Advisory Council member Jerry Oliver – who has served as a state alcohol regulator and police chief in Pasadena, California; Richmond, Virginia; and Detroit, Michigan – added, “It’s particularly interesting that a majority of Americans – more than 80 percent – said that parents, police officers and retailers already have a tough time keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors.  Most Americans also said that getting rid of rules and regulations could make alcohol problems worse. It is something that law enforcement – the men and women in uniform in communities across this country – are very concerned about as they work to keep communities safe.”

The survey results show:

• 77% support the right of individual states to set their own laws and regulations surrounding the sale of alcohol
• 87% say it is easy for adults to find a wide variety of beer, wine and liquor
• 84% believe that with the overwhelming majority of alcohol sold in the United States being manufactured by foreign-owned global corporations, it is more important than ever that states and localities maintain their ability to regulate alcohol
• 87% believe that all alcohol sold in their state should come through a licensed system which effectively tracks the steps it takes from producer to the consumer
• 83% believe state and local laws regarding alcohol regulations should be decided by lawmakers, not by judges
• 71% believe that since alcohol is different than other consumer products, it needs a different set of rules and the state should be regulating this industry
• 81% believe that parents, police officers and retailers already have a difficult challenge keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors; getting rid of alcohol rules, regulations and safeguards could make the problem worse

The national telephone survey of 1,000 adults was conducted on behalf of the Center for Alcohol Policy from March 17-21, 2011.  The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.  Click here to see the survey report.

Click here to see slides from a webinar presentation of the survey results.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501c(3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is pleased to announce that Neil Jamerson, a law student from the state of North Carolina, is the winner of its Third Annual Essay Contest.  Jamerson’s essay, “Higher Education and Public Health: Proper External Measures for Confronting Student Alcohol Abuse,” examines student drinking in the context of public health and recommends using state regulation to help universities confront student alcohol abuse.

“Considering the totality of the circumstances, state regulation is a better tool for preventing and ameliorating public health harms associated with college student alcohol abuse than tort,” Jamerson’s essay asserts. “Universities should seek state regulation to augment their internal efforts to control student alcohol abuse, and states are well-advised to consider additional regulation in order to ensure public welfare.”

Marshall Thompson, a law student at Brigham Young University, was named the second place winner in this year’s contest.  Adam Gershowitz, an associate law professor at the University of Houston Law Center finished in third place.

The winning entrants will receive prizes of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 respectively.

The Essay Contest is intended to foster debate, analysis and examination of state alcohol regulation. The theme of this year’s contest was: “Describe how state-based regulation of alcoholic beverages promotes public health and safety.”  The CAP received a broad range of submissions that touched on legal challenges to state-based regulation, the impact of alcohol tax collection on public safety, international alcohol regulation and personal experience with alcohol regulation.

“State-based alcohol regulation is an important element of every community across the country,” said CAP Advisory Council member and Cumberland School of Law Professor Brannon Denning. “This year’s Essay Contest gave citizens from across our country, and beyond its shores, the opportunity to explore this idea and its implications for our nation’s public safety and health.”

To read the winning essays, please visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/essay-contest. Details for the 2011 CAP Essay Contest will be posted soon.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is pleased to announce former Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch as the newest member of the CAP Advisory Council.  As part of the Council, Lynch will work with fellow advisors and the foundation’s trustees to direct the work of the Center and provide advice and counsel about a variety of issues related to alcohol policy.

During his eight years as Attorney General, Lynch successfully defended legal attacks by economic interests against Rhode Island’s alcohol regulatory structure and spearheaded a number of important alcohol initiatives. Lynch also visited at least one school a week to speak to children about making good choices in their lives.

Lynch’s leadership on important legal and social issues earned him the respect of his peers throughout the nation and led to his induction as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) in 2008. As part of his work with NAAG, Lynch sat on the Youth Access to Alcohol Task Force as well as the Enforcement of Underage Drinking Laws Task Force, including the Law Enforcement Subcommittee and the Public Education Subcommittee. Lynch was also an avid participant and supporter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Youth in Action program.

“As Rhode Island’s top law enforcement official and prosecutor, Patrick Lynch worked tirelessly to help protect the community by advocating for stricter laws to combat the misuse of alcohol, including drunk driving and underage drinking,” said CAP Advisory Council Chairman Jim Petro, who is the former Ohio Attorney General.  “He also worked with community leaders and law enforcement to propose effective school-safety plans and community prosecution. All of us on the Advisory Council look forward to working with Patrick and benefiting from his insights.”

As a member of the CAP Advisory Council, Lynch will join Petro; Jim Hall, former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman; Brannon Denning, law professor at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law; and Jerry Oliver, former police chief and state alcohol regulator.

“I am honored to join such a respected group of individuals on the CAP Advisory Council. I hope my years as attorney general and prosecutor will bring an important dimension to the discussion and to the CAP’s projects,” said Lynch.

A 1987 graduate of Brown University, Lynch earned his law degree from Suffolk University Law School. As a Special Assistant Attorney General from 1994 to 1999, he prosecuted cases at every level of Rhode Island’s criminal justice system and led the State’s prosecution of gang-related offenses. Lynch worked for one of Rhode Island’s top law firms until the 2002 election, which led to his first swearing in as Rhode Island Attorney General in January 2003.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy’s educational video, The Dangers of Alcohol Deregulation: The United Kingdom Experience vs. American Alcohol Regulation, has been honored with a silver award in the “Informational CD, Video or Podcast” category of the Association TRENDS’ 2010 All-Media Contest. This annual competition recognizes the most creative and effective communication vehicles developed in the association industry.

“This video is a valuable tool that helps further the Center for Alcohol Policy’s efforts to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and its regulation,” said Jim Petro, chair of the Advisory Council at the Center and former Ohio attorney general.

The Center released the educational video in the spring of 2010 to highlight the contrast between the deregulated system of alcohol controls in the United Kingdom with the effective system of alcohol regulation in the United States. The video conveys a serious message about the lessons Americans should take from the United Kingdom and helps viewers better understand why the United States has a state-based system of alcohol regulation under the 21st Amendment and how it works to effectively regulate alcohol as it does today.

In addition to disseminating copies of the video to members of the alcohol industry and members of community and public health coalitions, the Center has made the video available to the media and the public by posting it on the Center for Alcohol Policy’s Web site at https://www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org/.

The Center for Alcohol Policy will be honored at the 32nd Annual Salute to Association Excellence, to be held February 16, 2011, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. The winning entries will be on display at the event. The winners are also featured in the January issue of Association TRENDS and online.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation. By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption. For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

Long-Time Public Safety Official Brings More Than 35 Years of Experience to Foundation

ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) is pleased to announce former police chief Jerry Oliver as the newest member of the CAP Advisory Council.  As part of the Council, Oliver will work with fellow advisors and the foundation’s trustees to direct the work of the Center and provide advice and counsel about a variety of issues related to alcohol policy.

Oliver brings more than 35 years of experience in the public service and law enforcement sectors.  In his many years of service, Oliver has served as the Assistant Chief of Police in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona; the Director of Drug Policy in Memphis, Tennessee; and Chief of Police in three cities: Pasadena, California; Richmond, Virginia; and Detroit, Michigan.

In 2006, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano appointed Oliver as Director of the Department of Liquor License and Control which is responsible for nearly 11,000 licensees.

“Jerry Oliver has been on the front lines of public service in local communities around the country.  He has personally seen the important role alcohol regulation plays – both as a law enforcement officer on the streets and as a state alcohol regulator,” said CAP Advisory Council Chairman Jim Petro, who is the former attorney general of Ohio.  “All of us on the Advisory Council look forward to working with Jerry and learning from his invaluable experiences.”

As a member of the CAP Advisory Council, Oliver will join Petro, Jim Hall (former National Transportation Safety Board Chairman) and Brannon Denning (law professor at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law).

“I am honored to be joining such a respected group of individuals on the CAP Advisory Council.  I hope my years as a police chief and alcohol regulator will bring a new dimension to the discussion and to the CAP’s projects,” said Oliver.

Oliver completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (Public Finance), both from Arizona State University.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

CHICAGO, IL – The Second Annual Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) Alcohol Law Symposium continued today at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, with a focus on U.S. alcohol regulation and litigation issues.

The day began with a panel discussion titled, “Globalization and a U.S. Constitutional Amendment: The Future of Alcohol Laws in the United States.”  The session focused on the effects of the increasing globalization of the alcohol business and the changes that might be in store for U.S. alcohol regulation.  Panel speakers included moderator Jeremiah McWilliams of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Anoop Bhasin of the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration; Pam Erickson of Public Action Management, PLC; Kelly Grebe of MillerCoors; and Michele Simon of the Marin Institute.  These participants shared lessons learned from overseas alcohol regulation and talked about future trends and challenges on the horizon.

A review of 21st Amendment cases in the U.S. highlighted the many active types of litigation against a state’s ability to regulate alcohol.   Many of the problems associated with Dormant Commerce Clause or antitrust challenges to state alcohol regulation remain unsettled.

The Symposium concluded with a session that focused on common legal issues currently facing operators of alcohol companies.

More details on speakers, education session topics and the full Symposium agenda can be found at www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

CHICAGO, IL – Today the Second Annual Center for Alcohol Policy (CAP) Alcohol Law Symposium kicked off its first full day at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.

Attendees were welcomed with remarks by CAP Advisory Council Chair and former Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro.  “A state’s ability to regulate alcohol is being challenged in several states, so this gathering is a good opportunity for regulators, public health advocates, elected leaders and industry insiders to come together to share insight and ideas,” said Petro.

The day continued with insightful panels by current and former alcohol regulators, prominent alcohol law attorneys, a professor of alcoholic beverage law and public health advocates.  The panel sessions focused on the following topics:

•         Liquor Liability Laws: Pros, Cons and Recent Developments
•         Public Health Aspects of Alcohol Regulation
•         Supplier Contracts: Implications for State Alcohol Laws
•         What is the Fosdick and Scott Report and Why is it Important?
•         Defending State Liquor Laws Under the 21st Amendment: A State Perspective
•         Trade Practice Laws: A State and Federal Perspective

Nebraska Attorney General and National Association of Attorneys General President Jon Bruning delivered a keynote address on the role of the attorney general in upholding state-based alcohol regulation under the 21st Amendment.  “I applaud the Center for Alcohol Policy for bringing divergent parties such as industry insiders, public health regulators and attorney generals to discuss issues of alcohol policy,” said Bruning.

The Second Annual CAP Alcohol Law Symposium continues Tuesday, October 20.  More details on speakers, education session topics and the full Symposium agenda can be found at www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org.

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The Center for Alcohol Policy is a 501 c (3) organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol, its uniqueness and regulation.  By conducting sound and scientific-based research and implementing initiatives that will maintain the appropriate state-based regulation of alcohol, the Center promotes safe and responsible consumption, fights underage drinking and drunk driving and informs key entities about the effects of alcohol consumption.  For more information, visit www.centerforalcoholpolicy.org

Federal Government and Entertainment Industry Highlight Dangers of Underage Drinking
As national Alcohol Awareness Month gets underway, the Center for Alcohol Policy recognizes efforts by the federal government and the entertainment industry to raise awareness about the serious issue of underage drinking and its potential consequences. For the full news release, click here.