New polling finds widespread support for Corzine's proposed tax hike on beer, wine and liquor

Trenton, NJ – The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-New Jersey (NCADD-NJ) and the addiction support group Parent to Parent held a joint news conference at the State House to press legislators to pass an increase in the alcohol tax and use the revenue to fund more addiction treatment in the state.

At the event, NCADD-NJ released a survey showing that 64 percent of state residents support Gov. Jon Corzine's proposal for a nickel-a-gallon increase in the tax on beer and a dime-a-gallon increase on wine and spirits. An even higher number, 72 percent, favor having revenue from the alcohol tax increase fund expanding care for people with an alcohol or drug addiction. NCADD-NJ and Parent to Parent have collaborated on a Just a Nickel a Gallon Campaign since February to promote the issue of funding addiction care through a five-cents a gallon alcohol tax increase, an effort expected to generate $10 million.

NCADD-NJ Director of Public Affairs and Policy John Hulick said, "This new polling affirms that residents of the state understand that a small increase in the alcohol tax will pay huge dividends in terms of helping fellow New Jerseyans get the care they need. While the brewers and and distillers have increased the cost of their products, the alcohol tax rate has remained flat since 1992. The proposed tax increase only reflects where it should be if it, like the industry's mark-ups, had stayed even with the rate of inflation."

Hulick spoke about the tax being a user's levy that would have no more than a slight impact on moderate drinkers. For instance, Hulick noted that it would amount to roughly 11 cents on a case of  beer and just pennies on a liter of wine or liquor. Over a year, a beer-drinker consuming a case a beer week would pay an additional $5.85, while those drinking a gallon of wine or liquor a week would pay $5.20.         

Parent to Parent's Kathleen Dobbs said that the impact of the small increase would be substantial in terms of helping to save the lives of addicted individuals. The focus, she said, should be on "the families throughout the state who have loved ones addicted to alcohol or drugs and cannot find treatment for them because there are not enough resources to meet the need. "It is a tragic circumstance that some of our Parent to Parent members know all too well," Dobbs said, noting that several of the group's members have seen their sons wait-listed for treatment and die while waiting to be admitted. "Had action been taken years ago to expand treatment, some of my friends' sons could still be alive."

State numbers show that one in two adults (71,000) and two in three adolescents (9,400) who want treatment for an addiction are unable to find it because of limited capacity.

Gov. Corzine's budget includes his proposed increase in the alcohol tax, which anticipates generating $12 million. His spending plan also calls for spending $2 million for capital improvements at addiction treatment facilities.

While NCADD-NJ and Parent to Parent embrace the proposal for an increase in the alcohol tax, neither believes the capital expenditure is the best course at this time. Instead, the two organizations urge that revenue from the tax increase go to the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund (AEREF), which disburses money to the counties for treatment, prevention and drunken driving enforcement. The AEREF has not had an increase in its $11 million appropriation since 1992, and the state's alcohol tax has remained flat since that time.

NCADD-NJ has dedicated itself for more than 20 years to educating New Jersey's citizens about alcohol and drug use issues, to advocating on state policies concerning individuals addicted to alcohol or other drugs, and to reducing the stigma that frustrates a public health approach to the disease of addiction. More information about the council is available at its website, www.ncaddnj.org.