Center for Science in the Public Interest: raise alcohol taxes
Alcohol taxes, which were last increased in 1991, the first major increase in 40 years, need a lot of basic retooling. For starters, the rates should be adjusted for inflation, at least since 1991, to avoid the steady dilution in their value. Next, Congress should equalize tax rates per unit of alcohol among beer, wine, and distilled spirits at the inflation-adjusted rate for alcohol in liquor. Today’s scheme, which taxes the alcohol in spirits at more than twice that in beer and wine, not only sacrifices needed revenue, but also ignores real-world alcohol-consumption patterns and the drink sources of alcohol harms.
The Brewers Association’s response can be found here.
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