Friday, July 9, 2021 www.nabca.org

• NC: Alcohol referendums to be included in September’s General Election • Japan retracts controversial policy over alcohol-serving restaurants TODAY’S • Alcohol-Cancer Link Needs More Recognition HIGHLIGHTS • Speakeasy Co. now servicing 250 brands through direct-to-consumer alcoholic beverage service • The problem with BYOB on flights

NAISD Conference Sharing Solutions E-Newsletter! A platform for the NABCA community to share successful Responsibility.org, in collaboration with the Implementations and lessons learned about your Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) good work. and the American Automobile Association (AAA), will host the National Alliance to Stop ADDITIONAL LINKS Impaired Driving Conference, which will focus Visit NABCA’s website for information on: on multiple substance impaired driving. We cordially invite you to join us for this • Control State Agency Information conference, which will be held in person and • Doing Business in Control States livestreamed online for those who cannot • NABCA News attend in person: CONTROL STATE NEWS July 29 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm ET NC: Alcohol referendums to be included in 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm ET Networking Event September’s General Election 7:00 pm ET Dinner The One Feather By Scott McKie B.P., One Feather Staff July 30 - 8:30 am to 2:30 pm ET July 8, 2021

Location: Voters of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Renaissance Arlington Capital View (EBCI) will once again take to the polls to decide the 2800 S Potomac Ave extent of alcohol sales on tribal trust lands. Three Arlington, VA 22202 referendum questions will be posed on the ballot Salons 5 -7 of this September’s EBCI General Election including sale of malt beverages at retail establishments, NABCA NEWS development of a TABCC (Tribal Alcohol Beverage Control Commission) package store, and sale of The Collection: An Alcohol Research Summary malt beverages and wines at restaurants, hotels, (formerly Annotated Bibliography) A and other type establishments. comprehensive overview of the latest scientific It has been three years since the last alcohol evidence on important topics related to alcohol referendum for the Tribe. Low voter turnout policy. (25.56 percent) doomed a referendum, held on May 31, 2018, which would have established a tribally-owned package store. According to tribal 2 code, a minimum voter turnout of 30 percent is Chief Sneed said that the town of Cherokee seems required for a referendum to be deemed legitimate. to “clear out” around dinnertime. “I think one of the contributing factors to that is that there are Resolutions No. 534 (2021), No. 535 (2021), and No. really very few food and beverage establishments 536 (2021) were all submitted by Birdtown Rep. in Cherokee. So, if we are going to look more Boyd Owle with all three passing and establishing towards a tourism economy, this is a very big part the referendum vote as part of the General Election of it.” on Thursday, Sept. 2. Birdtown Rep. Albert Rose’s name was added to all three resolutions and Rep. Owle emphasized the economic development Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed’s name was added piece noting, “They’re looking for a revenue source to No. 534 as submitters. here. If it did pass, it’d bring beer into the grocery stores and convenience stores. I think it’d be a The questions being posed are as follows: great revenue-generator. They have it right off the • No. 534 – QUESTION No. 1: Do you support Boundary.” expanding the sales of malt beverages (beer) at Rep. Rose supported the idea and made the retail establishments (grocery or convenience motions for his name to be added to each. “Until stores) within the Qualla Boundary? we get this passed, our town will remain the way it • No. 535 – QUESTION No. 2: Do you support is. You can go anywhere else, Bryson, Waynesville, allowing the Tribal ABC Commission to operate and it’s a good atmosphere. Here, it’s like a drive- an ABC package store to permit the sale of through ghost town to me.” alcoholic beverages on tribal lands? Painttown Rep. Tommye Saunooke and Dike Sneed • No. 536 – QUESTION No. 3: Do you support were the lone dissenting votes on Res. No. 534 and expanding the sales of malt beverages and wines dissented, along with Wolftown Rep. Bo Crowe, on at restaurants, hotels, and other qualified Res. No. 536. Reps. Saunooke and Sneed both establishments within the Qualla Boundary? voted in favor of Res. No. 535 dealing with a Each of the resolutions states, in part, “…expanding tribally-owned package store. alcohol sales is a critical part of economic Rep. Saunooke explained, “I wanted the Tribe to be development. Without expanded sales, Cherokee able to get the revenue so that’s why Dike and I cannot compete with surrounding communities that voted that way. We’ve already discussed it with provide that amenity.” our community, and they feel the same way. They Chief Sneed said during discussion on the three just didn’t want every little store to have it. They pieces of legislation, “As stated in the resolution, it wanted just one if we had to have it.” is important for economic development – especially Yellowhill Rep. Tom Wahnetah was absent for the tourism. The Vice Chief and I meet with Community session. Club Council once a quarter, and multiple questions If any of the referendum questions fail to be I dealt with the last time we met with them were affirmed by the voters, the measures could not be related to tourism, economic development, and voted again in a referendum until the 2023 EBCI specifically to restaurants as far as having more General Election. According to Cherokee Code Sec. restaurants in Cherokee.” 161-9(c)(10), “An issue that has been brought up He added, “I related to the Community Club Council before the eligible voters and voted upon by that in order to have the food and beverage anchors referendum/initiative may not be voted upon that we need for a sustainable tourism economy, again until a period of two years has passed.” that we have to have alcohol sales – if that’s going to During Wednesday’s session, there was some be package sales, an ABC store run by the TABCC, or discussion as to the timing of the special session. beverages sold at restaurants.” Vice Chairman David Wolfe explained at the beginning of the session, “A referendum has to be 3 done within 90 days. The Council sessions didn’t fall It said through monitoring and analysis of sales within that 90 days. So, just to let the public know, data, the territorial government determined that that’s why we’re here for this referendum request.” the mickey limit should remain in place. The government also says it continues to INTERNATIONAL NEWS encourage residents to have a healthy and responsible attitude toward alcohol consumption. Canada: N.W.T. gov't lifts its $200 limit on alcohol sales, mickey limit remains Finance minister says limit intended to curb Scotland: Call for calorie content labelling on overconsupmtion and bootlegging had little effect alcoholic drinks CBC News BBC July 8, 2021 July 9, 2021 The limit on alcohol sales at Northwest Territories Campaigners in Scotland are calling for the calorie liquor stores is no longer in effect, as of Thursday. content of alcoholic drinks to be clearly displayed Originally imposed on April 16, 2020, the ban on on labels. purchasing more than $200 of alcohol at a time was The Alcohol Health Alliance and the charity Alcohol intended to combat overconsumption and Focus Scotland want changes to be made to bootlegging activities throughout the territory labelling laws. during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current law only requires alcoholic products to Caroline Wawzonek, minister of finance, said the show the strength of alcohol, the volume of the limit seemed to have little effect. drink and any allergens contained in them. "A year after the imposition of these restrictions, we The UK government is planning a consultation, have determined that the restrictions have neither leading to the call for more mandatory information lead to a reduction in alcohol consumption nor on labels. bootlegging activities," she said. Ingredients, nutritional information and health "Striking a balance between public health and risks do not currently have to be shown on wellness, crime prevention, and business interests is alcoholic drinks. important to the GNWT, and making this change now continues to support those efforts." The alcohol industry agreed to update labels to display the chief medical officers' weekly While the $200 purchasing limit is being lifted, consumption guideline by September 2019. N.W.T residents are still barred from purchasing more than six mickeys (375ml bottles of spirits) at a However, research undertaken by the Alcohol time. Health Alliance at the time showed that more than 70% of labels surveyed did not include the drinking "Substance abuse, bootlegging and the associated guidelines more than three years after they were consequences remain issues that negatively affect updated and after the deadline the industry agreed many of our communities and our residents," the with the government. Department of Finance wrote in a news release Thursday. A recent poll by YouGov found: "The GNWT remains committed to taking a holistic • Only a quarter of people surveyed correctly and whole-of-government approach to addressing estimated there were between 120 and 359 these complex issues – including the root causes and calories in a pint of lager at 5% strength resulting negative effects and impacts." • Just 22% knew there were 67-200 calories in a medium glass of wine at 12% strength 4

• Only one in 10 (11%) correctly estimated how on labelling that apply to everything else we eat many calories were in a single measure (25ml) of and drink. spirits at a strength of 40% "The alcohol industry have dragged their feet for • Just 23% of the public knew that the chief long enough - unless labelling requirements are set medical officers' drinking guideline was to have out in law we will continue to be kept in the dark no more than 14 units of alcohol per week about what is in our drinks and what the health risks are. We need reliable health and nutritional • 3% of the public have visited a website address information directly on bottles and cans, where it printed on an alcohol product to learn more can usefully inform our decisions." about the health harms from alcohol Holly Gabriel, nutrition manager at Action on Prof Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Sugar, said it was "absolutely unacceptable" that Alliance, said: "Alcohol labelling in this country is the alcohol industry was able to get away with not failing to inform consumers about what exactly their providing full information. drink contains. She added that previous research by Action on "Displaying basic product information, such as Sugar found that some drinks contained 15 calorie content, empowers the consumer to make teaspoons of sugar per pack - double the added informed choices about what, and how much, they sugar an adult should be having in one day. decide to drink. This information should be displayed clearly on the product they are buying. They should not have to research basic health Japan retracts controversial policy over alcohol- information online." serving restaurants 'Important health warnings' KYODO News He said the upcoming UK consultation on calorie July 9, 2021 labelling was a great opportunity for change and that Updated 1 hour ago displaying the calorie content would bring alcohol labelling in line with the labelling of food and soft The government said Friday it will retract its plan drinks. to ask financial institutions to ensure restaurants follow the ban on serving alcohol during the latest But he added: "The public is entitled to know more state of emergency, only a day after it put forward than just calorie content. It is concerning that only the initiative as a way to strengthen its anti- 18% of the public are aware of the chief medical coronavirus response. officers' drinking guideline. Yasutoshi Nishimura, the minister in charge of "Including this essential health information on the Japan's coronavirus response, unveiled the label, along with other legible important health controversial policy the previous day, drawing warnings and drink-drive and pregnancy warnings, criticism that the government was attempting to would help educate the public about the risks use lenders to pressure such establishments. associated with drinking and could help reduce alcohol harm by prompting behaviour change." Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, who received complaints about Nishimura's remarks Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus from senior members of the ruling Liberal Scotland, said: "Is it any surprise that so few Scots Democratic Party, told reporters the government know the calorie content of drinks - or the chief no longer intends to seek the support of financial medical officers' weekly low-risk drinking guideline - institutions. when this information is not routinely provided by alcohol producers? Nishimura told him he will retract the policy as it had failed to secure the understanding of the "It is unacceptable that a product linked to 10 deaths public, Kato said. a day in Scotland continues to be exempt from laws 5

Earlier Friday, Nishimura told reporters that the serve alcohol in principle. But they can until 7 p.m. government would try to "fix the unfairness" felt depending on the respective governors' decisions. between establishments that are earnestly obeying the government's request not to serve alcohol and PUBLIC HEALTH NEWS those that are not. Alcohol-Cancer Link Needs More Recognition Nishimura's remarks Thursday had drawn criticism from the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Cure Party of Japan, which called the measure nothing but By Brielle Benyon a threat to eateries. July 8, 2021 "He is merely trying to threaten (the restaurants) Most people surveyed knew about the link and add constraints on them," said Jun Azumi, the between alcohol and liver cancer, but far fewer CDPJ's Diet affairs chief, said, calling Nishimura's knew that drinking could increase breast cancer attitude "condescending." risk, too. He urged Nishimura to "resign immediately before Alcohol consumption can be linked to multiple drawing anger from the public." types of cancer, and the American Cancer Society even recommended last year that individuals Azumi's counterpart at the ruling Liberal Democratic should stop drinking alcohol to decrease their Party, Hiroshi Moriyama, and the party's Chief cancer risk. Deputy Secretary General Mikio Hayashi also requested Kato to tell Nishimura to be careful not to While thousands of cancer-related deaths can be make remarks that invite misunderstandings. tied to alcohol each year, a small study published in BMC Public Health found that there is a need for Before retracting the policy, Kato had said at a better public education on what kinds of cancers regular press conference, "The point is that we want can be caused by drinking. financial institutions to call for thorough implementation of anti-coronavirus measures," “In general, awareness of the risk of alcohol for adding, "We would like financial institutions to certain types of cancer was low to moderate, support (restaurants) in terms of financing." reflecting a need to inform people not only that alcohol increases risk of cancer, but which types of Nishimura said Thursday the government will share cancer are most highly associated (with) alcohol,” with financial institutions information about their the researchers wrote. client restaurants that are not complying with the alcohol ban request and want such institutions to The researchers surveyed 1,759 individuals aged ask them to follow the request. 21 or older at the 2019 Minnesota State Fair to understand their knowledge on the association of "The request (by the financial institutions) would not drinking with breast, liver and colorectal cancer. be based on law. It is not aimed at restricting They looked at predictors of overall awareness of financing" to the restaurants, the minister said. alcohol as a risk factor and prevalence of Nishimura also said that day that the government awareness of alcohol as a risk factor for each of the will ask alcohol beverage companies to stop selling cancer types. drinks to restaurants during the state of emergency. Most participants identified alcohol as a risk factor Under the state of emergency to be newly effective for cancer. However, the percentages varied by in Tokyo and extended in Okinawa, the government cancer type. Only 38% of people knew that breast will prohibit restaurants from serving alcohol and cancer could be related to alcohol consumption, maintain its request for them to close by 8 p.m. while 92% of people associated alcohol with liver cancer risk. Fifty-one percent of respondents were In prefectures where a quasi-state of emergency will aware of the link between alcohol and laryngeal be extended to Aug. 22, such as Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa and Osaka, restaurants are asked not to 6 cancer, and 66% for colon/rectal and mouth/throat health care visits, and implementing policies that cancers. can generate support for reduced alcohol consumption. About a third (32%) of the people surveyed said that they had a binge drinking session within the last 30 “(A)wareness for certain types of cancer was low days. Binge drinking was associated with a higher to moderate, reflecting a need to inform people probability of awareness of the correlation between not only that alcohol increases risk of cancer, but alcohol and cancer overall, though a decreased which types of cancer alcohol increases the risk awareness for mouth and throat cancers. of,” the researchers said.

Twelve percent said that they were diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life, and 79% said that Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer During Pregnancy they knew a family member who has been Comes With Some Risks diagnosed. A total of 66% of participants had a You might want to back away from that (non-alcoholic) bachelor’s degree or higher, which the researchers beer. said might be a factor in why such a high percentage reported knowing about the alcohol-cancer Romper connection. By Jennifer Parris July 8, 2021 “In our sample, 87% of participants correctly You know that drinking alcohol is a big no-no identified alcohol consumption as a risk factor for during pregnancy. But when everyone around you cancer,” the researchers wrote. “These findings (are) is cracking open a cold one, you might feel a little inconsistent with prior studies, which have shown left out... and thirsty. And while you might not low awareness of this risk (under 50%).” want to toss one (or two) back, you may want to But prior studies also found that people most explore some non-alcoholic alternatives. So can strongly associate alcohol with liver cancer risk. pregnant women drink non-alcoholic beer? “High awareness of the connection between alcohol Why Is Alcohol Unsafe To Consume During and liver cancer may relate to awareness that Pregnancy? alcohol causes liver problems, such as cirrhosis of The American College of Obstetricians and the liver,” the researchers said. “In addition, people Gynecologists spells it out pretty explicitly: You may surmise that alcohol can cause damage to the shouldn’t drink any alcohol during your nine mouth and throat given their direct contact with months. None. Moderate drinking can cause alcohol when consuming. Awareness for breast problems with baby’s learning and attention span, cancer may also be low because of this and other as well as negatively impacting their behavior and factors.” coordination (heavier drinking can result in lower- The researchers also noted that when alcohol than-average height and weight and problems with companies advertise their drinks using breast cancer brain development). “No amount of alcohol is awareness imagery – something that is particularly deemed safe during pregnancy, given its link to prevalent in October, which is Breast Cancer fetal alcohol syndrome,” Dr. Kecia Gaither, MD, Awareness Month – it may “undermine efforts to MPH, FACOG, double board-certified in OB/GYN raise awareness about the link between alcohol and and Maternal Fetal Medicine, Director of Perinatal breast cancer.” Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln tells While there was high awareness of alcohol’s impact Romper. “This syndrome consists of a triad of on liver cancer risk, efforts must be made on the defects, such as growth restriction, abnormal impact it can have on other cancers, according to the faces, and neurodevelopmental delay.” researchers. This can be done by way of How Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Made? organizations and nonprofits discouraging alcohol But what about non-alcoholic beer, you think? sponsorships, screening for alcohol use during Surely, it should be safer to drink than, say, a shot 7 of tequila. But in order to understand why it’s non- But even in the smallest amounts (such as you alcoholic, you might be wondering how it’s made in might find in non-alcoholic beer), it’s a danger to the first place. Well, the process is pretty much the your unborn baby, lactation consultant Liza Janda, same as brewing traditional beer, according to IBCLC tells Romper. “Any amount of alcohol can be Andrea Tran, RN, IBCLC, a registered nurse and metabolized by the mother’s body,” says Janda. lactation consultant. “Non-alcoholic beer is made “The fetus’ body does not have the ability to from the same ingredients as regular beer,” says metabolize in the same way, so there will be higher Tran. “It is made non-alcoholic by a couple of concentrations of alcohol in the baby’s body and different methods, such as removing alcohol at the for a longer period.” On top of that, Janda warns end of the brewing process, either by evaporation or that, “There is also much more sugar in these types filtration.” And since traditional beers contain about of non-alcoholic drinks.” 4%-6% of alcohol, per About Alcohol, it would need Not to mention the alcohol that can linger not only to reach that 0.5% threshold to qualify as non- in your body during pregnancy, but also in your alcoholic. breastmilk postpartum, too. A second study found Is Non-Alcoholic Beer Safe To Drink When You’re that after drinking non-alcoholic beer, Pregnant? breastfeeding moms who participated in the study were asked to pump immediately after drinking as If you’ve been stocking up on non-alcoholic well as intervals of one and three hours later. beverages (like Beck’s Non-Alcoholic, Heineken 0.0, Researchers found that there were trace amounts Budweiser Zero, and O’Doul’s Non Alcoholic Beer, of alcohol in their breastmilk, making it unsafe for for example), you might want to back away from their babies to consume. that beer. Because here’s the thing about non- alcoholic beer — some of them are not actually non- Should You Skip Non-Alcoholic Beer During alcoholic, according to Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, Pregnancy? MD, an OB/GYN and Senior Medical Director with Absolutely, the medical experts all agree. “The best Babyscripts. “To be able to say that a beer is non- advice is to refrain from drinking non-alcoholic alcoholic, the beer must have less than 0.5% products while trying to conceive or during alcohol,” says Dr. Demosthenes. “So even though it pregnancy,” says Dr. Demosthenes. Adds Janda: may be low, no alcohol is considered safe during “Err on the side of caution since you know nothing pregnancy.” A study published in PubMed found about how your own baby’s body will react to the that of 45 various beverages that were marketed as alcohol,” she says. “When considering non- non-alcoholic or had low alcohol content, 13 had alcoholic beer, it’s better to avoid it entirely.” ethanol levels that were higher than what was reported on the label. And six beverages that Although you might miss the smell, taste, and even claimed to have no alcohol had more than 1% the feeling of a bottle of beer or a cold can in your ethanol. hands, it’s not worth the risk to your or your baby’s health to consume a non-alcoholic beer. Be sure to Here’s Why Non-Alcoholic Beer Isn’t Safe For read the label to ensure that the beer is actually You… Or Your Baby alcohol-free. Once your baby is born, (and you’re Even if a non-alcoholic beer only has 0.5% or less still longing for a lager), speak with your OB/GYN alcohol, it’s still not safe to drink during pregnancy. or lactation consultant to see if it’s possible to “Another thought is that a woman may drink more safely consume an adult beverage while you’re than one non-alcoholic beer when she thinks that it breastfeeding. And until then, just know that is safe,” Dr. Demosthenes says. “That could lead to banishing beer from your diet is a small sacrifice to more drinking than intended.” The more you drink, ensure the health and well-being of your baby... the more alcohol you wind up consuming in that and you. “non-alcoholic” beer.

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Studies cited: The company has helped alcoholic beverage brands integrate into the rapidly growing world of Goh, Y., Verjee, Z., Koren, G. “Alcohol content in e-commerce. After partnering with Speakeasy Co., declared non-to low alcoholic beverages: spirit brand Dano’s Tequila raised sales from just implications to pregnancy” 2010. under $5,000 in Q2 2020 to $25,000 in Q1 2021, Schneider, C., Thierauf, A., Kempf, J., Auwarter, V. while Portuguese-based vendor Ginja9 grew “Ethanol concentration in breastmilk after the monthly revenue from a lowly $750 to over consumption of non-alcoholic beer” 2013. $30,000 within eight months. Experts: Bottled-up potential Dr. Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, FACOG, double board- In Jacobs’ words, this is “just the tip of the iceberg” certified in OB/GYN and Maternal Fetal Medicine, for Speakeasy Co. The International Wines and Director of Perinatal Services at NYC Health + Spirits Record (IWSR) projects that the total value Hospitals/Lincoln of U.S. alcohol e-commerce will grow sixfold from Andrea Tran, RN, IBCLC, a registered nurse and 2019-2024, and with 14,000 spirit brands alone, lactation consultant the company’s ceiling is high. Dr. Lauren Demosthenes, MD, an ob/gyn and Senior Speakeasy Co.’s expansion won’t come without Medical Director with Babyscripts challenges, though. While online alcohol sales are booming, it’s still an emerging market, and many Liza Janda, IBCLC, a lactation consultant brands aren’t even aware that a solution like Speakeasy Co.’s exists. INDUSTRY NEWS “[Direct-to-consumer] is such a paradigm shift Speakeasy Co. now servicing 250 brands through from the 88-year-old model that has existed since direct-to-consumer alcoholic beverage service Prohibition, and thus many brands are not Despite facing challenges of a nascent industry, company equipped to fully maximize our offering, which was sees plenty of room for further expansion the catalyst for launching our digital marketing services,” Jacobs explained. “Ultimately, there is a Freight Waves lot of education for both the market at large and By Jack Daleo with existing partners as we forge a brighter future July 8, 2021 that is more convenient for consumers and Tech and e-commerce company Speakeasy Co., empowering for brands.” which offers a three-tier compliant, direct-to- Shopping for alcoholic beverages online is a consumer solution for alcoholic beverage brands, is relatively foreign concept for most buyers, and as now servicing 250 distinct brands on its platform. a result, many brands aren’t actively looking for e- The announcement comes as the company has commerce solutions. As a result, the challenge for scaled from roughly 40 brands in January 2020 up to Speakeasy Co. becomes one of raising awareness 250 in July of this year. around its service. “The speed and momentum Speakeasy Co. has The potential value in the direct-to-consumer generated over the past year is surreal,” Josh Jacobs, alcoholic beverage industry is tantalizing. The co-founder and CEO, said on Tuesday. “We are trend of shopping for booze online is here to stay, humbled by the milestone and grateful for the and with thousands of brands having yet to support of so many throughout this journey, but this capitalize on online direct-to-consumer sales, is just the beginning for Speakeasy Co. The team Speakeasy Co. has a war chest of potential remains as committed as ever to our mission of partners. It’s just a matter of convincing them. providing partners with the solutions and services essential to scaling their businesses.”

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DAILY NEWS − Crime − Motor vehicle accidents ViewPoint: Alcohol Is The World’s Most Dangerous Drug − Family conflict Sault Online − International damage By Peter Chow | By Content Team − Economic cost July 8, 2021 − Damage to community cohesion Alcohol is the world’s most dangerous drug, more harmful than crack cocaine or heroin, when you The panel’s analysis showed that heroin, crack consider the harm it does to users, their friends and cocaine and crystal meth (methamphetamine) families, and society in general. were the most harmful drugs to the individual user. The harm that alcohol does exceeds the dangers of Alcohol, heroin, and crack were the most harmful even heroin and crack cocaine when the overall to others. danger to the user and others is taken into account. Heroin and crack would be at or near the top for This is the conclusion of a panel of British experts mortality, alcohol would be at or near the top for that assessed and ranked the harm caused by 20 cause of violent crime, and tobacco would be at different drugs, both legal and illegal. the top for long-term health risks. Members of Britain’s Independent Scientific When all the areas of harm were combined, the Committee on Drugs (ISCD) and two specialists from overall most harmful drugs were alcohol, heroin, the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug and crack cocaine. Addiction (EMCDDA) carefully assessed the harm The scale, developed by a panel of experts called caused by each drug in 16 separate categories. the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs Researchers looked at the physical, psychological, (ICSD), ranges from 0 (no harm) to 100 (greatest and social harm the drugs do to life expectancy, possible harm). health risks, dependence, mental functioning, loss of It is weighted so that a drug that scores 50 is half employment, loss of relationships, crime, costs to as harmful as a drug that scores 100. society, family adversities, and other factors, a total of 16 criteria. The highest and lowest overall harm scores … are 72 for alcohol and 5 for magic mushrooms. By applying multicriteria decision analysis to each drug and then weighing which harms are more Alcohol was found to be the most harmful drug to important than others, the scientists were able to society and the fourth most harmful drug to the give each drug a score that could be compared user. across all 16 criteria. Alcohol has been linked to more than 60 diseases. The harms to the user included: Alcohol’s position at the top is partly the result of − Drug-specific death its widespread use, which causes much greater total harm overall. − Drug-related death Using the ICSD ratings, 20 substances were rated in − Damage to health terms of the overall harm they do. Their results: − Drug dependence − Alcohol 72 − Loss of relationships − Heroin 55 − Loss of employment − Crack 54

The harms to others that were considered included: − Crystal meth 33 10

• Cocaine 27 Alcohol’s effects on behavior leads to more crime; alcohol is a factor in 40% of violent crimes, but • Tobacco 26 various studies found marijuana doesn’t make • Amphetamine/speed 23 users more aggressive or lead to crime. • Cannabis (marijuana) 20 It is intriguing to note that the two legal drugs assessed—alcohol and tobacco—score in the • GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) 18 upper segment of the ranking scale, indicating that • Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium, Xanax) 15 legal drugs cause at least as much harm as do illegal substances • Ketamine 15 Why is alcohol legal but many other intoxicants • Methadone 14 not? • Mephedrone (aka drone, MCAT) 13 That question was the subject of a report by the • Butane 10 Global Commission on Drug Policy, an independent group of 26 former presidents and other • Khat 9 authorities. • Ecstasy 9 They conclude that, as far as the scientific evidence • Anabolic steroids 9 is concerned, current drug laws have no rhyme or reason to them. • LSD 7 The commission blames the UN’s drug • Buprenorphine 6 classification system, which sorts some 300 • Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybin) 5 psychoactive substances into “schedules” according to their harms and benefits. Heroin, crack, and crystal meth were the most harmful drugs to the individual, while alcohol, heroin Some, such as morphine, have medical uses. and crack were the most harmful to others. Others, such as psilocybin (the active ingredient in According to this “multicriteria decision analysis magic mushrooms), are used mostly recreationally. approach,” alcohol is almost three times as harmful Drugs without any apparent medical utility are as cocaine. automatically placed in the most dangerous Marijuana is generally much safer and more benign category—and subjected to the strictest criminal than alcohol. penalties—regardless of the risk they pose. Drug experts universally agree that individuals and The flaws of the UN’s system have been evident for society would arguably be better off if marijuana years. became the most accepted recreational intoxicant In the ranking of popular intoxicating substances, of choice instead of alcohol. alcohol came out as the most harmful, followed by While marijuana doesn’t cause organ failure or fatal heroin and crack cocaine. overdoses, alcohol kills more than 30,000 people in Psychedelic “party” drugs, including Ecstasy, LSD the US each year due to liver disease and other and magic mushrooms, were deemed mostly forms of poisoning. benign—with harm scores less than half that of Alcohol and marijuana are both intoxicants, but one tobacco—despite being lumped with cocaine and study from Columbia University researchers heroin in the UN’s classification system. estimated that alcohol multiplies the chance of a Alcohol’s position at the top is partly the result of fatal traffic accident by nearly 14 times, while its widespread use, which causes greater harms to marijuana nearly doubles the risk. others. 11

Crack cocaine is considered the most harmful drug ounces or less, can fit in a quart-sized bag and is for the user. under 70 percent alcohol by volume. Drugs such as heroin, meanwhile, would be ranked Duty-free alcohol can go in carry-on bags, but lower if users could always buy an unadulterated busting that open during a flight is also a non- dose (free of Fentanyl), and did not have to resort to starter. sharing needles. “Our airline partners and the FAA ask that you Difficult as it may be, designing laws for drugs that don’t drink your own booze while flying,” the are consistent with their dangers and benefits is the agency said in a blog post. “Let’s leave the pouring way forward, argues the Global Commission. to the pros! And be sure to check your airline’s website to make sure they are cool with being a The zero-tolerance approach adopted by most designated flyer for your hooch.” governments has led to a host of social problems, including soaring prison costs and crime. Travel writers have pointed out a loophole in the past: Passengers could ask a flight attendant to “It is past high time to accept the fact that a society pour a drink from the traveler’s own stash. At one without drugs is an illusion,” the report argues. time, JetBlue even said publicly that in-flight crew Regulating drugs in a more sensible manner would would be happy to do so, Condé Nast Traveler make them safer—and not just for those who take reported in 2017. them. That is no longer the case. The carrier told The Washington Post recently that personal alcohol is The problem with BYOB on flights not allowed to be consumed on its flights and that You can bring your own alcohol, but it better stay in your “all alcohol must be sold and served by an in-flight bag crew member.” The Washington Post Likewise, American Airlines said gate agents will By Hannah Sampson not let customers carry open containers with July 8, 2021 alcohol onto a plane, and flight attendants will not pour personal alcohol. Southwest, United and When airlines cut back on alcohol service on flights Delta have similar rules. during the pandemic, some passengers figured they would still find a way to partake, do-it-yourself style. Gilbert Ott, founder of the travel blog God Save The Points, has written about airline BYOB in the Big problem for the BYOB crowd: That solution is past — and has done it successfully in places very much against the rules. including the United Kingdom and United States. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, “In the U.S., it was always this kind of wink-and-a- regulations “prohibit passengers from drinking nod thing,” he said. He said JetBlue was especially alcohol on board the aircraft unless it is served by amenable to serving alcohol he had brought on the air carrier.” It is a way for flight attendants to board. make sure passengers aren’t getting served too much alcohol — and an effort to avoid the kind of in- But that was “B.C.,” he said, before covid-19. flight disruptions that intoxicated passengers can Airlines cut back on alcohol sales in the early days cause. of the pandemic, and some have continued to suspend them amid a rise in unruly passenger Over the past few months, the agency has proposed behavior. fines against 13 passengers for behavior including consumption of alcohol that wasn’t served by the “I think so much has changed with the air rage now airline during a flight. that it’s just a completely different proposition,” he said. The Transportation Security Administration has pointed out fliers can carry on alcohol as long it is 3.4 12

Ott said he is not sure how widely known it is that air and experiences with excessive drinking. Featured travelers aren’t allowed to guzzle their own mini on the show was Khadi Olagoke, founder of the bottles during a flight. Sober Black Girls Club. “I think that most people assume that what they do When Olagoke graduated from law school, she was with the contents of their bag is at their own not mentally prepared for life after college. discretion, the same way you’d bring a bag of mixed Olagoke’s sense of identity was shaken, and she nuts on the plane,” he said. “I think there’s definitely experienced depression as the pressures rose at a lack of awareness or thought behind it.” work, where there was already a drinking culture instilled in the social settings of her law firm. Olagoke began to drink excessively. It wasn’t until Sober Black Girls Club Founder Opens Up on Red 2018, through therapy, that she confronted her Table Talk: “There Is Hope Out There” dependence on alcohol and sought help and Sober Black Girls Club founder Khadi Olagoke discussed recovery for alcohol use. creating the club during the pandemic and her own journey to sobriety on the latest episode of Red Table When lockdown enforced social distancing Talk. requirements across the nation in early 2020, this included shutting down in-person Alcoholics Teen Vogue Anonymous meetings. As everyone tried to adjust By Kaitlyn Mcnab July 8, 2021 to the strange pace of quarantine, Olagoke witnessed a trend. Sixteen months into the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there’s still so much to learn about the “The drinking culture once we were in calamitous effects this health crisis has had on our quarantine... a lot of us did not know how long it society. The collective loss we’ve faced has left no was going to last,” Olagoke tells Teen Vogue. “We area of our lives untouched, impacting our economy, thought it was just going to be a really quick thing. food systems, and public health — and thrusting On Instagram, I'm seeing a lot of drinking mental health into the public consciousness in a way challenges, on Facebook, Twitter, just pictures of it had never been before. Suddenly, we were not people drinking with bottles [and] bottles.” only facing a pandemic, but preparing for a mental Soon after, Olagoke created the Sober Black Girls health epidemic, too. So many struggling through Club, a non-profit organization and community for grief, job insecurity, and the stress and anxiety of Black women like herself who were currently social isolation at the beginning of lockdown seeking support for alcohol use during a time when searched for ways to cope — and drinking was one isolation was heightened. The Sober Black Girls of them. Club met virtually, doubling in size by May 2020. One study found that college students who reported Today, the group has over 600 members. higher levels of stress and anxiety were also “Folks don't understand that the more you drink, increasing their alcohol use. In a fall 2020 study by the longer you drink, day to day, your body’s going JAMA Network Open, it was found that Americans to crave more and more alcohol to the point where had upped their alcohol consumption by 14% when you want to stop, you're not going to be able compared to 2019, with women exhibiting a 41% to stop or you're going to have difficulty stopping. increase over the baseline. The rise in women’s And I learned that firsthand in 2018,” says Olagoke. alcohol consumption means a higher, more The Sober Black Girls Club offers a range of dangerous risk of life-threatening conditions such as resources to its women-identifying and non-binary liver disease, as well as substance use dependency. members, offering virtual meetings, an active On a recent episode of Red Table Talk, co-hosts Jada mentorship program, a private support group, and Pinkett-Smith, Willow Smith, and Adrienne Banfield- a blog. As vaccinations are becoming more Norris (affectionately known as Gammy), dive into accessible and cities begin their reopening phases, this topic, sharing their own personal connections the SBGC is even expanding offline, holding meet- 13 ups in New York City, Los Angeles, D.C., and London. causing some effect, some type of negative There’s also a medical fund that helps members who consequence in their life. I think for me, just being want to seek rehab receive the quality healthcare vulnerable, putting my life on display, I want other they deserve. people just to know that we have to be the change that we want to see. So if you could acknowledge “I am a lawyer, I know what that looks like, I know that your drinking usage is interfering with [your] the injustices in our medical system,” Olagoke says. quality of life, it's okay to acknowledge that… I “And we're just really big on giving our girls, our don't want people not to drink, I'm not anti- folks, members, the opportunity to get quality alcohol. I just think that we have to be really healthcare. And that sometimes looks like going to considerate.” California and going to a private rehab, and when you don't have insurance you're going to need [the] This vulnerability was part of the reason why it was money, so we use that fund to send folks.” so important for Olagoke to appear on this particular episode of Red Table Talk. Olagoke shares that she is intentional about making space for all parts of her members’ lives within her “The club really admires Jada, Gammy, and Willow. club. She works to construct an atmosphere that They are one of the families, [some] of the few allows members to feel safe talking about and people in Black culture that we see that [have] had connecting over anything they struggle with, some type of experience with alcohol, and not only anything that complicates their lives, and thus, their did they do something about it, but they also relationship to alcohol. shared with the public,” Olagoke says. “It's a no- brainer that in hip-hop culture and Hollywood, “We don't say you can't talk about race, we don’t say [substance use disorder] is a prevalent thing. We you can’t talk about something that happened to would be very silly to assume that the actors that you or you feel like you need to get off your chest,” we love, the rappers that we love are not going Olagoke expresses. “We just allow folks to talk about through [that]. That’s just silly. But now, day by day anything that they feel they want to share with the you're hearing about celebrities going into rehab.” group, as long as it’s not harmful to other people.” Olagoke emphasizes that the SBGC is open to all As a young person, there is pressure within our forms of recovery, and supports its members societal culture to drink in both social and through whatever recovery process works best for professional settings, and even at home, through them. She cites Pinkett-Smith and Banfield-Norris’ advertisements or social media trends. As a young different recovery methods as an example of the Black woman, there can be even more societal different routes one can take to sobriety. pressures to drink, with drinking becoming more and more normalized in popular culture and the chronic “Gammy went through a 12-step program... Jada stress of racism wearing upon our mental health. But went cold turkey. I think that's just so important to even still, drinking culture just seems to come with understand: that we all have different needs, we the territory of being young. So what does it mean all have different wants,” Olagoke shares. “We've then to be a sober young person? been conditioned to think that we're all just the same and what works for one person will work for “I think it's a game changer,” Olagake states. “I want the other. That's what this club embodies. If you to be able to listen to Megan Thee Stallion and twerk need money to join an online course to get sober, and have fun and do things with my friends, who, we we will help you pay for that. If you want to go cold all have the same interests. We love hip-hop, we turkey, we would support you. [To] go see a doctor, love rap music, we love trap — however, I no longer get better medical advice, or a 12 step recovery can deny the effect that alcohol had on my life. I program... we will accept you. Just come as you think we sometimes think that alcohol [use are, and we will figure out how best to serve you disorder], or even drug use, like there’s spectrums. and your needs.” A lot of times I meet people who they might not [have a substance use disorder], but drinking is 14

Over the course of the past year, the Sober Black vacation destination is influenced by what kind of Girls Club’s presence on social media has grown, alcohol may be served in the locale. with over 18,000 followers on Instagram. Within the As the country begins to reopen, it’s no surprise next year, Olagoke says that she hopes the club can that more people are beginning to travel again. take advantage of this growth and create a brick- More Americans are already traveling this year and-mortar space for their members. Her dream than at any point last year during the COVID-19 would be a recreational space for connection that pandemic. also provides resources that aid recovery, like a gym and a kitchen. The Sober Black Girls Club has only And Americans are taking all types of different just begun its journey in helping its members, and vacations now that the U.S. Centers for Disease has already made such an impact on those seeking Control and Prevention has deemed domestic sobriety. travel to be safe for fully vaccinated people. “[When] I created Sober Black Girls Club and really While many Americans who go on vacation are got my story out there, my face out there, other girls looking to drink, the tendency to imbibe while on were literally emailing me and DMing me telling me vacation tends to differ depending on a person’s that they're experiencing the same exact story,” point of origin, according to the survey. Olagoke says. “The most valuable lesson I’ve learned Sixty-four percent of Americans surveyed who live is that we have to be honest with each other. We in the Pacific region say that they always drink on have to tell the truth about what we're going vacation. Conversely, only 40% of people that live through.” in Midwest states such as Minnesota, Iowa, And that truth is the lifeline that many young people Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and and young women who are struggling with alcohol Nebraska said that they drink on vacation. use need — the truth that help exists. Travelers also tend to take vacations based solely “There is hope out there and there's help out there,” on the drinks available at the travel spot. This is says Olagoke. “You just don’t need to do it alone, more applicable to younger generations, as 36% you really don't. There's nothing to be ashamed aged 18-29 said this. More than one in five adults about. When you look at the numbers of people in surveyed said they’ve made vacation decisions America who suffer from [substance use disorder], solely on the alcoholic drinks offered or available. of any kind, it's high… there's no need for you to be This means that a subset of people looked up their ashamed or feel guilty. There really is hope. I think travel destination and changed their minds due to every member of the club is testimony that there's the alcohol being offered, Vacationer’s survey hope.” suggested. According to the survey, the most popular drinks Survey: Alcohol options influence Americans’ on vacation tend to be cocktails and beers. Men vacation destinations were twice as likely to list beer as their drink of choice than women. Twenty-eight percent of FOX 10 American adults surveyed also said that cocktails By Rushaad Hayward were their favorite alcoholic beverages on July 8, 2021 vacations. This story was reported from Baltimore - More than half of American adults say they always drink on Many people would much rather drink a beer or vacation, but the number of drinks vary depending some wine as it’s easier to prepare, whereas things on factors like age and location, according to a like margaritas and martinis are much more survey taken by The Vacationer. And that’s not all — accessible on vacation because someone else is many who were surveyed say their choice of making them, the survey suggested. 15

Those that fall in the younger demographic claim to said. “It’s hard to overstate how important this is average at least three drinks a day while on vacation, to our company and the industry. It’s deeply which is more than the recommended limit for both gratifying to launch the Apple Store’s first fully- men and women. Data from the CDC says that the functional cannabis delivery app, making it even limit for moderate drinking is two drinks for men and easier for our two million registered customers to one for women. legally consume.” The survey found that some American adults stated In contrast to Apple, Google’s Android app hub their alcohol consumption on vacation is at least 10 updated its policy in 2019 to explicitly prohibit drinks daily. programs that connect users with cannabis, no matter whether it is legal in the jurisdiction where While a night of drinking can lead to a morning of the user lives. regret, 76% of the people surveyed agreed that drinking didn’t lead to any regrettable actions on “We don’t allow apps that facilitate the sale of vacation. marijuana or marijuana products, regardless of legality,” it says, adding that some examples of Of those who said "yes," most of them fell between violations would be “allowing users to order 18-29 years old. marijuana through an in-app shopping cart feature” or “assisting users in arranging delivery or First Full-Service Marijuana Delivery App Launches pick up of marijuana.” On Apple Store Following Policy Change It also says that “facilitating the sale of products Marijuana Moment containing THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), including By Kyle Jaeger products such as CBD oils containing THC” is July 8, 2021 against its policies. Apple has long restricted marijuana companies from Eaze Distinguished Engineer CJ Silverio said that conducting business on its app store. But following a the “flexibility and depth of our technical team recent policy change, the cannabis delivery service allowed us to respond immediately to the changes Eaze on Thursday announced that consumers can in Apple’s policy, and create an app that offers our now shop and pay for marijuana products on its customers the ideal experience for cannabis iPhone app for the first time. delivery.” This marks a “major milestone for the legal cannabis Chris Vaughn, CEO of the California delivery service market and consumers,” Eaze said in a press release. Emjay, previously told WeedWeek that he believes “The Eaze app allows customers to complete all Apple’s decision was informed by the continuing aspects of delivery seamlessly: registration, ID legalization movement in states like New York, as verification, product selection, payment, and receipt well as Amazon’s recent announcement that it will to the doorstep.” no longer be drug testing workers for cannabis in addition to lobbying for a federal legalization bill. Previously, people buying marijuana through the He added that he thinks Google will “follow nation’s largest cannabis delivery service had to quickly” to update its own policies. leave the prior version of the app and submit orders through a less-convenient mobile version of the The tech industry has had a strained relationship company’s web page. The Apple policy change with the marijuana industry, even as a growing means the service is streamlined, and it represents a number of states have decided to legalize and significant development in the evolving relationship regulate the sale of cannabis. between Big Tech and the marijuana industry. Facebook, which in 2019 showed off its artificial “Eaze has always been about using the latest intelligence technology that’s capable of developments in technology to make shopping for identifying images of marijuana, continues to legal cannabis more accessible,” CEO Rogelio Choy prohibit the commercial advertising of cannabis 16 products, regardless of the legality of the business The vet then informed the police, who raided the under state law. farm on Monday and recovered 100 bottles of alcohol worth 32,000 rupees ($400). Noncommercial cannabis news sites such as Marijuana Moment and state regulatory bodies like The three farmers were arrested the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission In Gujarat—Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home have also been caught up in the anti-marijuana state—making, buying, selling or transporting policy despite the fact that they do not promote or alcohol is outlawed, punishable by hefty fines and sell cannabis products. In some cases, it appears even prison sentences. these organizations have been hidden from appearing in search results—a practice known as “shadowbanning.” This email and any files transmitted with it are intended Despite marijuana firms being banned from Google’s solely for the use of NABCA members, free-of-charge. app market, some of the company’s top officials If you do not wish to receive this daily service, please seem pretty bullish about loosening cannabis laws. respond with “UNSUBSCRIBE” in the Subject line. In Google co-founder Sergey Brin joked about addition, if there is another individual within your company who should also be receiving this service, supplying employees with joints at a post-election please forward their name, title, employer, and email meeting in 2016. address to [email protected]. Thank you for “I was asking if we could serve joints outside on the your time and attention as we continue to work to patio, but apparently these things take a little while improve upon the services and benefits that we to take effect,” Brin said, referring to the provide to our members. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the implementation of California’s cannabis legalization author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the measure. “It was a huge, huge disappointment. I’ve National Alcohol Beverage Control Association. been bemoaning that all week, I’ll be honest with you.”

‘Drunk’ buffalos lead to arrest of farmers illegally selling alcohol Inquirer.net By Agence France-Presse July 9, 2021 AHMEDABAD, India—Three Indian farmers in the dry western state of Gujarat have been arrested for selling illegal alcohol after their own buffalos got drunk on the hooch, police said. One of the men called a local vet after their buffalos starting to “act strangely and their mouths started frothing,” local police official Dilipsinh Baldev told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The vet then inspected the water trough that the animals had been drinking from and “observed a strange smell and found the water to be colored.” This, it turned out, was because the men had hidden bottles of moonshine in the trough and some of them had broken, contaminating the water.