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Alcohol tax forum planned Thursday
Posted Online: April 21, 2009, 7:56 pm
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By Laura Anderson, landerson@qconline.com
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Riverside and Robert Young Center will host a community forum on "a nickel a drink" alcohol tax increase proposed to help reduce underage drinking and driving. Planned for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Trinity West's Campus, the forum will be attended by U.S. Rep. Phil Hare (D-Rock Island), state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, and state Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, or their representatives. "We are calling on Gov. Pat Quinn, Sen. Jacobs, representatives Boland, Verschoore and Hare to support a 5-cent (per) drink alcohol tax to reduce youth alcohol consumption," said Austin Gross, substance abuse counselor with Robert Young Center and Riverside. The tax hike will raise $250 million for Illinois treatment providers, he said. A portion of that will be invested for under-funded state prevention and treatment services, Mr. Gross said, with an additional $74 million invested in a community-based addiction treatment and prevention. Similar to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, Mr. Gross said they plan to talk with people in schools and the community about alcohol abuse prevention. "As a society, we are so used to being reactive and treating people, but the focus of this forum is the prevention aspect, and being proactive," Mr. Gross said. "This is about prevention rather than treatment." Organizers suggest Illinois compare the nickel-a-drink tax with the tax on cigarettes. "But 5 cents on an alcoholic drink will bring us a long way doing a lot more than what the cigarette tax has done," Mr. Gross said. Suzanne McLean, a policy analyst with Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, said similar forums have taken place in Illinois for more than 20 years. Although Thursday's forum focuses on the nickel-per-drink tax, Ms. McLean said several other alcohol abuse prevention and treatment issues will be recognized. "It's a good time to ask questions, and a good time to hear first person perspectives on issues," she said. IF YOU GO... WHAT: Community forum for five cents per alcoholic drink tax increase to boost drug and alcohol treatment funding and reduce youth drinking WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday WHERE: Trinity West Campus' Jardine Center, 2701 17th St., Rock Island. 
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