Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Editorial - Go easy on ‘sin tax’


It is a sad fact that excessive drinking of alcohol has destructive effects on health and productivity. Our health experts agree on that.

Even the drinkers themselves know that not only are they invariably ill, their pockets are almost always empty and their heads too heavy to do any useful work the morning after the day before.

So does the World Health Organisation, which has been campaigning against excessive drinking, and has come to the conclusion that the best way out is to put alcohol beyond the reach of drinkers through high taxes, among other, more sensible measures.

At the same time, Finance Ministers have, seemingly, discovered one of the easiest ways to plug budget deficits: Slapping ‘‘sin tax’’ on alcohol every year.

While all these profound musings are going on, the health authorities know full well that if you price bottled alcoholic beverages beyond the means of the majority drinkers, they will only resort to unhygienic, dangerous brews which invariably make them twice as unproductive, impotent, blind or dead. . . . . . .

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