County unsure of drink tax’s effects

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Recent studies show that increases in alcohol taxes can reduce the number of… ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Recent studies show that increases in alcohol taxes can reduce the number of alcohol-related deaths in an area. But county officials say they’re not sure how these increases would affect Pittsburgh. ‘ ‘ ‘ A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that when Alaska raised its alcohol taxes in 1983 and 2002, its alcohol-related deaths decreased by 29 and 11 percent, respectively. ‘ ‘ ‘ The study did not include deaths involving alcohol-related violence or car accidents, but only alcohol-related diseases such as alcohol poisoning, alcoholic liver disease, chronic pancreatitis and cirrhosis. ‘ ‘ ‘ Kevin Evanto, a spokesperson for Allegheny County chief executive Dan Onorato, said it was too early to tell whether the 10 percent drink tax Allegheny County put on alcoholic beverages sold in bars and restaurants last January would have the same effect. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s the first year we’ve collected [the tax],’ said Evanto, ‘so we don’t have anything to compare it to.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Evanto said that while some bars and restaurants have been complaining that their business has decreased, the tax has also brought in more money for the county than expected ‘mdash; $10 million more as of August. ‘ ‘ ‘ He added that because the tax only affects restaurants and bars, it would be hard to track whether it had an impact. ‘ ‘ ‘ Students, he said, could move toward drinking more at home rather than drinking less. ‘ ‘ ‘ But the Alaskan government applied its taxes to all alcohol sold in-state and raised them to rates higher than the Allegheny County tax. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt senior David Ivankevich turned 21 in January, when the tax took effect. So, he said he wasn’t sure how it specifically affected him. ‘ ‘ ‘ He did say, ‘The prices always determine how much I drink.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Alexander Wagenaar, the University of Florida professor who led the study on Alaskan drink taxes, told CNN he thought the taxes should have the same effect throughout the country. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘There’s no reason to think the experience in Alaska would be different than anywhere else,’ said Wagenaar. ‘Increasing alcohol taxes saves lives ‘mdash; that’s the bottom line.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Wagenaar said that while Alaska has a smaller population than most states, its drinking rates are similar to the rest of the country’s.