Name: Maddy D
Posting Number 1
Period: D
Topic: Health
Title: Can a bigger booze tax reduce disease, crime?
Writer: Carina Storrs
Publication Date: September 24th, 2010
Word Count: 254
Article: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/24/health.booze.tax/index.html
Summary: The use of alcohol has many downsides that are overseen in today's culture in America. Alcohol abuse includes diseases, car crashes, injuries and crimes; these are leading causes of preventable deaths in the US. With a higher taxation on alcohol, for example by doubling the current state taxes on alcohol, the state could lower all alcohol related deaths by 35%. By raising taxes it has been proven that unhealthy behaviors are often minimized. Not only would crime, and car crashes be decreased but also many diseases such as depression, liver disease and more would be greatly effected. Drinking impairs ones thinking and judgment which has been known to lead to more dangerous behaviors, leading to sexual diseases and drunk driving.
Conclusion: In conclusion, public health and safety would have many gains from a higher taxation on alcohol. With a slight raise in taxes, the drinking level would slightly decrease as a cause of this, even with this slight decrease, public health would get largely impacted and would it would receive measurable gains. Price has a big impact on society and really effects the way people act and live, so as proven with cigarettes, when they received higher pricing and taxation, the use of them clearly decreased. I think this would be a good idea, because it is a only raising the tax by a slight amount and this would have a huge effect on the societies safety, health and much more. I think it would be a very good thing for America’s culture.
I think that the government's interference will not be very effective. It is a moral decision to choose to drink and drive, or many of the other numerous accidents dealt with alcohol. During the 1920s, the Prohibition Act did not mitigate alcohol usage, so we would not want history to repeat itself by instilling laws to reduce alcohol consumption.
ReplyDeleteI think that this tax wouldn't be as effect as it seems. Is there even any evidence that this has lowered the rates of crimes? Although the idea is a good one, I don't think it would be effective. On the other hand, if the taxes on alcohol were to be raised, I think that some people who can't afford alcohol will resort to theft, or other cheeper drugs that have even worse side effects.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it may seem like a reasonable plan, I don't believe creating a tax would prevent the American people from drinking. People already understand the effects that alcohol has on them, yet they continue to abuse it. I agree that the tax would only deeply affect those who can't afford it. In my opinion, a slight raise in price won't stop the country from consuming alcohol.
ReplyDeleteI believe that raising the tax on alcohol is a good initiative to prevent abuse, but it is not enough to prevent people from drinking so much of it to the extent of the harmful causes. Also, it may enrage people who occasionally drink alcohol, such as those who may just have a glass of wine once in a while for dinner. The raised tax unfairly punishes them for others' abuse on the alcohol that would cause the raise on its price.
ReplyDeleteI think, that raising taxes would be a good alternative. Still, I agree, if the taxes are to high people will make their own alcohol which would be equal to the time of the prohibition.
ReplyDeleteSo I think it is impossible to ban alcohol but if they would raise the tax a little bit people would consume it less.