Winooski Prevention Partnership Coalition to Propose Alcohol Policy Bill:
Vermonters are grappling with the severe impact of alcohol misuse. In our state, alcohol is linked to one in four deaths among those aged 20-34 and one in five deaths among those aged 35-49 (Esser et al., 2022). Alcohol-related deaths have surged by 36% between 2017 and 2021, placing Vermont among the highest-risk states for alcohol harm (Vermont Department of Health, 2024). Furthermore, Vermont ranks second nationwide for alcohol use disorder (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2021).
Despite the growing crisis, effective prevention policies remain underdeveloped. Prevention-based strategies focus on reducing alcohol availability while enhancing access to treatment and recovery resources. Unfortunately, alcohol-related regulations in Vermont have decreased in recent years, and the state’s alcohol tax rates are not indexed to inflation, meaning the tax burden on alcohol consumers decreases annually (Looney, 2017). At the federal level, alcohol taxes were even reduced by 15% in 2020 (Looney, 2017).
Winooski Prevention Partnership is proposing an Alcohol Policy Bill with the following key recommendations:
- Alcohol Tax Increases of 10 Cents per Drink
- Purpose: Raising alcohol prices is one of the most effective strategies to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms (Matthieu Economic Consulting, 2024). Increased tax revenue can also fund vital treatment and recovery services.
- Why it’s Needed: Vermont has low alcohol taxes and high alcohol consumption, ranking 23rd for beer, 33rd for wine, and 18th for distilled spirits taxes.
- Evidence: A 10% price increase could reduce alcohol-related mortality by up to 25%, including from alcohol-related diseases (Open Philanthropy Project, 2015).
- Cancer Warning Labels
- Purpose: Alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable cancer, yet over 60% of the population is unaware of this link (National Cancer Institute, 2020).
- Why it’s Needed: Cancer warning labels will educate consumers about the risks and protect their rights to make informed decisions.
- Evidence: In Canada, cancer warning labels resulted in a 6.59% decrease in alcohol purchases (Hobin et al., 2020; Zhao et al., 2020).
- Alcohol by Volume (ABV) Labels
- Purpose: Clear labeling of alcohol content helps consumers make informed decisions about consumption.
- Why it’s Needed: Vermont does not require ABV labels on all alcoholic products.
- Evidence: Research shows that alcohol labeling improves understanding of health risks and empowers consumers to drink more responsibly (Edmunds et al., 2023).
- Mandatory Compliance Checks
- Purpose: Ensuring alcohol retailers adhere to the law and reduce underage drinking.
- Why It’s Needed: Vermont lacks federal requirements for regular alcohol compliance checks, and many alcohol sales—especially online—are non-compliant. A recent pilot study found that 100% of online alcohol deliveries were unlawful, with 80% failing to check IDs.
- Evidence: Compliance checks have been shown to reduce underage alcohol sales by more than 40% (Elder et al., 2007).
Winooski Prevention Partnership (WPP) is looking for support and action:
WPP is urging the Vermont legislature to pass these impactful policies to address the alcohol crisis and reduce its devastating effects. Alcohol misuse not only leads to individual harm but also burdens our entire community. For example, Vermont’s 2021 social autopsy report found that 36% of people who died by overdose had alcohol use disorder (Vermont Department of Health, 2023). By addressing alcohol misuse, we can reduce risks for other substances that also claim lives.
Furthermore, more than 75% of Vermonters in treatment for Substance Use Disorder experience housing insecurity, and alcohol dependence is responsible for about two-thirds of all SUD cases. Tackling alcohol misuse will have positive collateral effects across our population, improving both health and safety outcomes.
WPP is looking for statewide support to urge the Vermont legislature to act with the same conviction applied to addressing the opioid epidemic, adopting these evidence-based prevention policies to protect Vermonters from the harms of alcohol.
Together we can Overcome Industry Opposition
The Winooski Prevention Partnership recognizes that the policies outlined in this bill will face strong opposition from industry groups, as seen with the pro-tobacco industry’s opposition to Vermont's flavored tobacco ban in 2024 (Vermont Public, 2023). Despite this, Vermont has the opportunity to prioritize public health over industry interests.
Please see the WPP’s Alcohol Policy Brief for more information.
Sources:
Esser, M. B., et al. (2022). Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder in Vermont.
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2021).
Vermont Department of Health (2024). Alcohol-Related Mortality and Public Health Statistics.
Looney, A. (2017). Impact of Federal Alcohol Tax Reduction.
Matthieu Economic Consulting (2024).
Open Philanthropy Project (2015).
Hobin, E., et al. (2020); Zhao, X., et al. (2020). Impact of Cancer Warning Labels on Alcohol Purchases.
Edmunds, D., et al. (2023). The Effect of Alcohol Labeling on Consumer Decisions.
Elder, R. W., et al. (2007). Compliance Checks and Underage Alcohol Sales.
