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Alcohol Ad Restrictions Advance in Massachusetts

Massachusetts organizers have recently seen success in their fight to eliminate alcohol advertising from public property. House Bill 851, which would ban alcohol advertising on all state-owned property, advanced from initial committee consideration to the Ways and Means Committee in December 2011. In January, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced that advertising for alcohol will no longer be allowed on any MBTA property as of July 1. The MBTA decision affects subway cars, trains, buses, and stations, which are currently saturated in advertisements for beer and spirits. These important moves come after years of scrutiny and advocacy from local community groups, including the Allston-Brighton Substance Abuse Task Force and Supporting an Alcohol-Free Environment in Massachusetts (SAFE MA). Alcohol Justice applauds the steps that Massachusetts is taking to improve the public health. Click here to find out more. Click here to send an action alert to support MA HB 851.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Sues Big Beer

The Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota filed a $500 million lawsuit earlier this month against Anheuser-Busch InBev, SABMiller, Molson Coors, MillerCoors LLC, and Pabst, alleging that they knowingly contributed to devastating alcohol-related problems on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Damages from the lawsuit would be directed toward the cost of services such as health care, social services, and child rehabilitation, to address alcohol-related harm that tribe members have experienced. The lawsuit also targets specific alcohol retailers just across the border in Whiteclay, Nebraska, alleging that the stores sold primarily to Pine Ridge residents with the knowledge that the alcohol would be smuggled onto the reservation. In response, Nebraska legislators are now considering a measure that would enable Whiteclay to be declared an “alcohol impact zone” and allow limitations on the sale of alcohol.

Edinburgh Student Union Bans SABMiller Beers

Students at the University of Edinburgh have banned the sale of SABMiller's 200+ beer brands on campus after learning about the conglomerate's business practices in some of the world's poorest countries. According to the international advocacy group Action Aid, the world’s second largest brewer (with headquarters in London) has been dodging taxes in Africa for years. By shifting profits made in Africa into tax havens like Switzerland or the Netherlands, SABMiller can avoid paying taxes to the countries where it produces beer--countries that desperately need the revenue for basic public services such as education and healthcare. The University of Edinburgh student body's move to ban SABMiller products sends a strong message to the company. Send your own message here.

Big Alcohol Dominates Alcohol Regulator Meeting

New Article Documents Alcohol Industry's Vested Interests in State Regulation

AddictionCover In a peer-reviewed article in the February 2012 issue of Addiction, Sarah Mart, director of research at Alcohol Justice, has documented the alcohol industry’s excessive involvement in the annual National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA) that took place in June 2010. More than two-thirds (72%) of the 187 meeting attendees, and 65% of the panelists, were from the alcohol industry. The rest represented state alcohol control systems and federal government agencies. Mart was the only participant representing public health policy. “Big Alcohol panelists sent regulators a warning message: Be industry-friendly. Don’t rock the boat of commerce with public health concerns, or your job may be on the line,” reported Mart. “The Federal officials that were present also spoke about supporting the industry, instead of protecting public safety.” Click here for the press release, and email info [at] alcoholjustice.org request the full article.