Alcohol abuse is the third leading cause of preventable death in the U.S., and it contributes to countless diseases, car crashes, injuries, and crimes.
How can we solve these thorny problems? Making booze more expensive might be a good start, a new study suggests.
Doubling the current state taxes on alcohol -- which would tack on as much as 50 cents to the price of the average six-pack or bottle of wine -- could be expected to reduce alcohol-related deaths by 35 percent, fatal car crashes by 11 percent, and the rates of sexually transmitted disease by 6 percent, according to the study.
Higher taxes on booze would also lead to 2 percent less violence and 1.4 percent less crime, the researchers estimate.
via www.cnn.com
I think these authors need to talk to these authors because I'm getting mixed signals. Beer shortens my life, beer lengthens my life....sheesh, I need a drink.
