Potential benefits of alcoholic beverage tax are enormous

To the editor:

I am writing on behalf of the Alaska Academy of Family Physicians, in support of Proposition B-1, authorizing the Matanuska-Susitna Borough to enact an alcoholic beverage tax.

Taxes on alcohol:

• decrease impaired driving

• decrease deaths related to alcohol use

• decrease child abuse

• decrease domestic violence

• decrease sexually transmitted disease rates

• improve pregnancy outcomes

• and decrease underage drinking

The potential health benefits of an alcoholic beverage tax are enormous. We urge our fellow Alaskans to adopt this measure.

Marin Granholm, MD

President

Alaska Academy of Family Physicians