Restaurant Doom — More Alcohol Taxes?
Welcome back!
“Here’s to Alcohol: the cause of, and the solution to, all of life’s problems” –Homer Smith
The economy is what it is and if restaurants don’t already have enough problems, look for state governments to raise alcohol taxes. The studies continue to come to the same conclusion - Alcohol taxes and prices affect drinking. When prices go down, people drink more, and when prices go up, people drink less. That unto itself is not exactly shocking.
What is disturbing is that the so-called experts concerned with the subject of addiction who are actually pushing for higher taxes on alcohol with the assumption that higher prices will be the silent cure for alcoholism. Here’s just one example… Frank Chaloupka, PhD, Professor of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, describes the research as a “true tour de force,” and adds, “these findings provide a strong rationale for using increases in alcoholic beverage taxes to promote public health by reducing drinking.”
In other words, let’s find an excuse for raising those taxes, and let’s punish the hospitality industry in doing so. We will make alcoholic beverages so damn expensive that alcoholic dependency will cease to exist. It’s all for the greater good, and keep in mind that we taxed the hell out of cigarettes and less people are smoking.
Here’s my take on it… Maybe 10% of the drinking public are problem drinkers. This means 90% drink responsibly. So why punish the overwhelming majority (not to mention an entire beverage industry that is a vital part of the economic survival of our restaurants). More to the point, I don’t care what the studies say; people of the addicted variety are not going to stop drinking because a bottle of Smirnoff just went up by ten percent. You can charge $145.00 for the bottle and these folks will find a way to keep drinking.
The governments are going to raise taxes, but please don’t use the excuse that in doing so, you are actually doing something for the greater good of society. What you are doing is hurting the beverage industry; the hotel industry; and most certainly, the restaurant industry. (just to name a few).
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Comments
when was the last time you observed in a restaurant for a whole evening?!!?
WAY more than 10% of my tables drink more than they should and get behind the wheel. When they all drink similar amts there is no DD at the table.
Drinking is a sin tax item GET OVER it when govt need rev it will get taxed more-look at the cost of a case of beer today-somebody is making a killing and I bet the brewer isnt hurting and definately the govt (s) arent hurting on its sale.
How a blue collar guy keeping his job affords a 6 or 12 pack at the end of the shirt at todays prices I do NOT know how.
I would have a different take of you had any estimates on how much of a hike to expect.
My advice get grassroot support going -joe 6 pack writing his state elected officials and your lobbists working.
Aso be a good time to work on cocktail recipes-if you make em tasty enough they cant drink just one. Then start sales contests with the winner getting a free steak dinner.
RAISING THE PRICE OF A COCKTAIL AT A RESTUARANT WHERE DINNER IS BEING SERVED ,MAY POSSIBLY DETER THE RESPONSIBILE
PERSON FROM ORDERING ONE. THE HARD CORE DRINKER WILL ALWAYS JUSTIFY THE EXPENSE. THIS MAY BE WHY BYOB IS SO POPULAR.