By Hunter Hines
Christian Action League
August 21, 2015
ALEXANDRIA, VA – A recent bipartisan national poll commissioned by the Center for Alcohol Policy, in Alexandria, Virginia, says the American public overwhelmingly supports the current system of alcohol regulations in the U.S. Moreover, the poll reveals Americans believe the current regulatory system for alcohol is viewed by most Americans as necessary for keeping the public safe.
“Americans recognize and agree that when it comes to a unique product such as alcohol, regulation is vital, and they support the states’ ability to set their own laws and regulations about alcohol,” said Mike Lash Brook, the Center’s executive director.
“Much of what’s in this survey substantiates our arguments that, generally speaking, Americans are concerned about alcohol control. They don’t view alcohol as an ordinary commodity, and, I think they don’t look favorably upon policies that loosen alcohol laws and regulations – something we’ve seen too much of in North Carolina in recent years. We need to slow down and take a closer look at some of these legislative initiatives involving alcohol that put the public’s health at risk,” said Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League.
Some of the key findings in the poll reveal:
Americans agree that regulation is important, especially when it comes to alcohol.
- 89% of adults agree that it is very important to keep the American alcohol industry regulated.
- 82% agree 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.
- 94% believe that people selling or delivering alcohol should verify that a person is 21 or older before they sell or deliver alcohol to that person.
Additionally, Americans do not think alcohol is just like other consumer products, and they support regulations on alcohol that are not found on other consumer goods.
- 70% believe alcohol should not be sold just like other consumer goods.
- 84% support the current legal drinking age of 21 or older.
Dr. Creech also said the poll noted that 84% of Americans agree that there are more local and craft beers available in their community today than ever before, with 41% of the population “strongly agreeing.” And, although the public is satisfied, he said, with the availability of brews, he notes the survey reveals 80% of the public say that there are enough places to buy alcohol in their communities.
“Alcohol outlet density is a critical factor in reducing alcohol-related harm,” said Dr. Creech. Communities need to consider these concerns carefully before loosening alcohol control via local referendums,” he said. “Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly also need to understand that we cannot keep expanding this industry without sufficient control measures and think nothing negative is going to happen. Far too many of our lawmakers don’t understand the problematic nature of alcohol and they easily dismiss arguments against expansion initiatives as neo-prohibitionist. Polls like this one show they are on the wrong side of public opinion,” he added.
Americans also believe local businesses that understand the local community should manage local alcohol distribution and sales.
- 81% support the rights of individual states to determine their own laws and regulations regarding the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcohol.
The national survey of 1,005 adults over the age of 21 was conducted using an online methodology by a bipartisan team of pollsters, Whitman Insight Strategies and WPA Opinion Research, on behalf of the Center for Alcohol Policy from April 27 – May 3, 2015. The margin of error is ± 3.1%.
This story was taken from a press release provided by the Center for Alcohol Policy, which is an organization whose mission is to educate policy makers, regulators and the public about alcohol.
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